Teen stabbed 'while trying to protect brother'

A student was stabbed in the chest last Friday after he confronted two teens who had allegedly bullied his younger brother.

Baldwin Luigi Singh, 18, ended up with six stitches on the left side of his chest, inches away from his heart.

"I wanted to protect my brother," the nursing student from the Institute of Technical Education College East in Simei told The Straits Times.

Police confirmed that they received a call for assistance at Block 147, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, last Friday.

Two 16-year-old students from a boys' school were later arrested.

Baldwin said one of the suspects had called his younger brother on the phone. But Baldwin answered the phone instead.

"(He) threatened to beat my brother up on Monday and every time he sees him if I didn't meet him at the playground," said Baldwin.

The suspect also accused Baldwin of hitting his younger brother, who goes to the same school as the victim's 13-year-old brother. "But I never did it," said Baldwin.

Baldwin's younger brother and the suspect's brother apparently have a history of bad blood.

Two years ago, the two younger boys got into a fight over a football game.

Their feud worsened this year when both entered the same school.

Baldwin's younger brother, who is not being named because he is a minor, told The Straits Times: "His friends hit my head and pulled my turban twice in January."

Things went downhill last Friday when Baldwin decided to go with a classmate to meet one of the suspects.

Later, at the playground where they were supposed to meet, the suspect walked towards Baldwin with a blue plastic bag.

Before Baldwin knew it, he had been stabbed with a knife that was hidden in the bag.

"I felt something warm spreading over my chest and started running," he said.

"I shouted to my brother and my friend that (he) has a knife," he added.

He then ran to a nearby family clinic and sought medical help and waited for the ambulance. His classmate called the police.

The police have established this case as one of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons.

The Straits Times understands that both suspects are out on bail.

When contacted, the suspect who allegedly stabbed Baldwin declined to comment on the incident.

Investigations are ongoing.

This article was first published on July 12, 2014.
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