Former lawyer M Ravi pleads guilty to string of crimes that include pushing priest and attacking paralegal

SINGAPORE: In his latest run-in with the law, former lawyer M Ravi pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Jul 17) to a string of crimes that include making a scene at a famous temple, slapping multiple people and attacking his paralegals over the printing of documents for a hearing.

Ravi, whose full name is Ravi Madasamy, attended court in a black polo T-shirt.

The 55-year-old Singaporean sat in the dock, frowning at the discussions by the judge, prosecution and defence on the impact of his bipolar disorder on his sentence.

In November last year, he was sentenced to 21 days in jail for nine instances of contempt of court. He was disbarred months later for improper conduct.

WHAT HE DID

The court heard details of Ravi's behaviour spanning from November 2021 to September 2023, at places like a law firm, Sri Mariamman Temple and a restaurant.

In November 2021, Ravi was at K K Cheng Law Firm on North Bridge Road, where he was practising under supervision. Blaming a paralegal for failing to print documents for a hearing, Ravi threw a glass perfume bottle at him and strangled him.

When the paralegal said he had asked another colleague to print the documents, Ravi threw a remote control at the second man.

On Jan 22, 2022, Ravi called a saleswoman at a boutique in Joo Chiat a "bitch" when she said she could not hear him and cursed at her.

On Feb 11, 2022, Ravi saw a man he knew at a bookstore in Upper Cross Street and cursed at him before slapping his face.

On Jul 9, 2023, Ravi went to Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road and pushed his way to the front of the line of queuing devotees. He helped himself to holy ash, smeared it on himself and threw offerings on the floor.

He caused a scene at the temple, asking loudly why there were so many foreigners and why there was a need to queue.

When the assistant secretary of the temple and others asked Ravi to stop making a scene, he began cursing at them and pushed a priest before being escorted out of the temple.

Two days later, Ravi went to an eatery in South Bridge Road. When a woman asked if he wanted coffee or tea, he grew agitated and pushed her. She fell backwards and suffered a laceration on the back of her head.

Ravi then cursed at the manager and asked him to "return to India and Pakistan".

On Jul 12, 2023, Ravi made a scene at Yio Chu Kang MRT Station. When the police arrived, he ignored their warnings to stop shouting and instead slapped a man.

Ravi was charged in court two days later and released on bail. However, on Sep 15, 2023, he returned to Sri Mariamman Temple, wanting to buy sarees.

As he did not have enough cash on him, he told the person manning the stall to hold his items for him and that he would return.

By the time Ravi got back, the stallholder had left. Ravi insulted the new person at the stall who did not know what items he wanted. 

He also got into a dispute with another woman, accusing her of throwing a plastic bag at him, and slapped her face.

The prosecution is seeking 18 to 24 weeks' jail for Ravi, along with a fine. 

PAST CONVICTIONS, MENTAL CONDITION

Deputy Public Prosecutor Timotheus Koh said Ravi had three sets of past convictions.

He was fined for disorderly behaviour in 2004. He was convicted of mischief, using threatening words and causing disturbance to a religious assembly in 2009. In 2018, he was given a mandatory treatment order (MTO) for causing hurt by a rash act, lurking house trespass and other charges.

District Judge Luke Tan asked the prosecution and defence to address two broad issues before he could decide on the sentence: Ravi's mental condition and whether it affects sentencing, and how the court should apply certain guidelines and benchmarks.

The court referred to two sets of judgments which would affect Ravi's sentencing: The case of Soo Cheow Wee, where the Chief Justice laid out principles for sentencing an offender with mental conditions, and the case of the Attorney-General v Ravi, involving Ravi's misconduct.

Judge Tan noted that the prosecution's current position was for no mitigating weight to be placed on Ravi's bipolar disorder at all. He asked how this reconciled with the position taken by the AG in AG v Ravi, where limited weight was given to his condition.

Mr Koh argued that the judgment for AG v Ravi came out at roughly the same time as the judgment in Soo Cheow Wee. This meant the court for AG v Ravi likely did not have guidance on the detailed framework laid out in the Soo Cheow Wee judgment, which touches on what happens if an offender has insight into his mental condition but does not take the necessary steps to avoid reoffending.

Mr Koh added that it has been some time since the AG v Ravi judgment, but Ravi has continued with his behaviour, making him "further away removed" from any mitigating weight that could be given to his condition.

The prosecutor cited Ravi's "poor compliance or non-compliance" with his treatment regime despite being aware of his mental condition.

Judge Tan then asked if no weight should be given at all even for the offences Ravi committed around the time he committed contempt of court, since the High Court had considered his mental condition for contempt.

Mr Koh agreed and explained that a report by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) showed that Ravi had insight into his disorder as far back as 2018 when he was given an MTO.

"But what we see in that report is that he wanted to terminate his MTO. He was unhappy with it," said Mr Koh, adding that Ravi did not return to follow up on treatment after his most recent remand in September 2023.

MITIGATION

Defence lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam sought not more than seven weeks' jail and a fine for Ravi. He said that since Ravi was previously given an MTO, jail was the only option the defence could work with, in their sentencing submissions.

He argued that Ravi's case was "a bit different" from Soo Cheow Wee's, arguing that the nature of Ravi's bipolar disorder comes with inherent relapses, whether or not a person complies with medical treatment.

"It is with respect a bit simplistic to say that a person who suffers from a mental condition - just because there is non-compliance - he is automatically to be blamed and to be blamed for the full extent and there should be no mitigating weight," said Mr Thuraisingam.

He said that individuals suffering a manic episode often do not perceive that they are ill or need medication. 

"In the absence of strong medical evidence to say Mr Ravi is to be blamed for being in this condition, I think the court should be slow to make such a finding," said the lawyer.

He showed that even when Ravi is compliant and follows up with his medicine, he still suffered relapses.

Mr Thuraisingam said Ravi has grappled with his disorder throughout his career, with financial, professional and unfortunately criminal repercussions.

"Each time he has suffered from this condition, he has picked up his life, put the pieces together and moved on with his life," said the lawyer.

"We know that he has argued successful capital cases and constitutional issues and these are issues which affect the lives of the common man. That is why I say he has contributed to society, and that the relevance of that in today's hearing is that he has done some good in his life and some weight should be given to that."

He said Ravi is extremely remorseful and is pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, extending his sincere apologies to the people he hurt.

In response, Mr Koh said the court had given non-jail sentences like fines and an MTO to Ravi for past crimes.

"With the greatest of respect to Ravi and the defence, Ravi cannot be allowed to continue to hide behind his condition as a shield for his behaviour," said Mr Koh. "There must be some kind of responsibility taken."

Judge Tan said he needed some time to consider the case and adjourned sentencing to a later date.