'I don't think I can take it anymore': Wife of Buangkok slasher now considering divorce but worries about their 4 kids

He had a prior criminal record of violence and had promised his wife that he would no longer reoffend after being released from prison in July 2020.

But barely two years later, her husband Fadhil Yusop was at it again.

The Buangkok slasher got into trouble with the law and was arrested by the police for wielding a sword and injuring two men at Buangkok Square on Monday (March 14).

His wife Yati, an Indonesian national, has finally reached her wits' end. 

"I don't think I can take it anymore. But I'm afraid if I get a divorce I'll have to leave Singapore and I won't be able to see my children," said the 36-year-old who, like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The couple first met in Bintan and have been married for 13 years. They have four daughters with the youngest at just over a year old. 

She told Shin Min Daily News in an interview on Tuesday (March 15) that Fadhil, 37, took up a job as a delivery rider and was earning an income of about $2,000 a month, but he recently started taking drugs again. 

"My daughters are still young, I can't go out to work. My in-laws also hardly come to visit, so I can only rely on him to earn money. That is why I've been putting up with his behaviour," she lamented. 

Yati is in Singapore on a long-term visit pass which will expire in 2023, reported Shin Min.

On Wednesday, Fadhil was charged in court for voluntarily causing hurt with a samurai sword.

Shin Min reported that the sword that he used is believed to be a collectible item and not a real weapon.  

He is accused of cutting 35-year-old Kumarapeli Arachchige Amila Chinthan three times, causing the latter to suffer cuts on his left arm and shoulder. 

The judge ordered Fadhil to be remanded in Changi Prison's Complex's medical centre for three weeks where he will be placed under psychiatric observation. 

He is expected to return to court on April 6. 

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned or receive any combination of these punishments. 

Men who helped subdue Fadhil awarded by police for their bravery 

Chinthan, along with five other men, received the Public Spiritedness Award from the Singapore Police Force on Tuesday. 

The award presentation ceremony was held at Ang Mo Kio Police Division. 

During an interview with Today newspaper after the ceremony, Chinthan, a Sri Lankan permanent resident, said that he did not expect to be attacked by Fadhil.

"Everything happened so quickly," he recalled. 

The owner of Kingsmen Movers shared that one of his main motivations for stopping his attacker was his seven-month pregnant wife and his three-year-old son. 

"I was imagining (what) if it happened to my family. I didn't think twice, all I cared about was people's safety," he added.

Shortly after the scuffle with the slasher, Chinthana's first thought was to inform his wife to look for him. "I didn't want her to panic because she is pregnant." 

Chinthana said he also received more than 500 calls and 267 messages from from concerned strangers after the incident — all because his mobile number was revealed in a viral video footage.

He said that the calls were mainly strangers asking if he was okay, as well as offers of money. 

News of the attack also reached Chinthana's hometown, where he received calls from his friends and family in Sri Lanka. News outlets in Sri Lanka have also tried to reach out to him. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com