Jail, cane for beating up, using knife on girlfriend

Jail, cane for beating up, using knife on girlfriend

SINGAPORE - A jobless man told his girlfriend that he did not trust her - the line he would always use before beating her.

True to form, 34-year-old Lim Cheng Hian dragged Ms Chin Yin Choo to their bedroom where he slapped, punched, kicked and tried to strangle her.

He even cut her thigh with a Swiss Army knife in a two-hour attack which left her entire body bruised and bloodied.

Lim was sentenced to 21 months' jail and three strokes of the cane on Thursday after admitting three of five charges.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jasmin Kaur said Ms Chin, 35, moved in with Lim at his Sengkang home in April 2012 after they dated for about two months.

Some time between June and July that year, the couple were walking back from Rivervale Mall when Lim bought alcohol from a Cheers minimart.

He started drinking at a void deck and accused his girlfriend of having an affair behind his back. He said he did not trust her.

The court heard this made her afraid to return to the flat, but she eventually did so when Lim promised not to beat her.

The promise was soon broken when she denied having an affair, and Lim began attacking her. At one stage, she blacked out after Lim pushed her head against a wall, causing it to bleed.

When she came to, Lim was still drinking. He approached her again and kicked her repeatedly in the stomach.

The victim was unable to move and seek help because of her injuries and remained in that state until Lim woke up at 10am. He did not take her to see a doctor though he gave her some ointment to apply.

When Ms Chin eventually saw a doctor, she was found to have two broken ribs and scars over her scalp.

Lim admitted kicking her in the ribs, slapping and banging her head against the wall and cutting her left thigh.

District Judge Eugene Teo noted from Lim's psychiatric report that he had a problem with alcoholdependence and advised him to address it upon his release from prison.


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