A 66-year old man in Singapore has been jailed for three years and seven months on Friday, October 6, after he was convicted of having stabbed another man who apparently kept staring at him.
Allan Yeo Hooi Huat, was charged for voluntarily hurting an individual with a sharp weapon for apparently no valid reason at all. On April 8, he stabbed 58-years old Pang Kok Beng four times in the chest, at Block 38, Chai Chee Avenue. Investigations reveal that the two men lived one housing block away from one another.
In 2016, Pang had slapped Yeo for staring at him, however, the ruckus was soon sorted out.
On the evening of April 8, Pang was walking home alone with his dinner. Yeo was seated at the empty deck of Block 38. The two men having recognised one another kept staring. Investigations further revealed that after Pang walked went out of sight, Yeo took out his fruit knife which he apparently took out from his letterbox and kept it in his pocket. Almost half an hour later when Pang went back to the deck, he and Yeo made eye contact once again. Pang walked over to the two women with whom Yeo was sitting and asked in Hokkien as to why Yeo was gaping at him.
The interrogation led to a scuffle between the two, where Pang pushed Yeo who then took out the knife and chased Pang, pinned him to a wall nearby and stabbed him four times.
Their neighbour Lee Chye Sing had to intrude in the matter to put a stop to the brawl. Post this incident Yeo went back home and called 999 where he confessed having committed the crime and stated to surrender.
"I stabbed someone just now at the void deck. I think he went back to his home at Block 39. I want to surrender" he said.
Pang had to be admitted to the hospital for a week. He suffered from three 2 cm long stabs and one 1.5 cm wound on his chest. His medical report stated that these wounds were life threatening and could have ended up killing him.
The police found blood stains on the block's walkway and bicycle bay. District judge May Mesenas, in sentencing Yeo stated that it is a "serious offence with a weapon used", that too with a 10 cm blade. A general deterrence sentence was issued against Yeo that was almost twice what his lawyer had urged. He could have been jailed for seven years or more for the crime.
"People should not (think that they can) go about using knives (to hurt others)," District Judge Mesenas told TODAY.
Necessary steps should be taken by authorities to prevent such reactions and regulate the mindset of people that due to the gradual deterioration of human morals is degrading rapidly. Attacking an individual just for the sake of a stare? A funny world indeed.
