Man gets jail, cane for hurting girl, 4

Man gets jail, cane for hurting girl, 4

High on drugs, Mohammad Rudy Madon, 37, became furious when the four-year-old daughter of his girlfriend defaecated on a mattress last November.

He smeared the faeces on her face, resulting in her eating some. The former army regular also punched and stomped on her leg, fracturing the thigh bone. Later, he twisted her ankle, fracturing that too.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to three years in jail and four strokes of the cane. He had pleaded guilty on Oct 1 to grievously hurting and ill-treating the child.

District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said that his treatment of the "young defenceless child" was "most callous and cruel" and for the "most inane of reasons".

She also noted that the girl was in his custody and as a caregiver, he should have protected her. Instead, he had repeatedly ill-treated her since she was three years old, the judge added.

The court heard that the mother was unable to seek medical treatment for the child as she had to care for her three other younger children, who had been fathered by Mohammad Rudy.

The child was still limping a month after the incident, and a kindergarten teacher took her to a clinic and then to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

Doctors detected the fractures. Suspecting child abuse, the teacher informed the police and Mohammad Rudy was arrested on Dec 28.

A urine test revealed that he had consumed methamphetamine, or Ice as it is commonly known. He had also failed to attend urine tests.

He was jailed for a year for drug consumption, making his total prison sentence four years, backdated to Jan 5, which was the day he was remanded.

Defence counsel Louis Joseph told reporters that his client, now unemployed, intends to appeal against the sentence as it was "manifestly excessive".

The court had heard that Mohammad Rudy was married to another woman, who was unaware of his parallel family.

He and his wife have no children.

Just for causing grievous hurt by fracturing the child's ankle, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.

khush@sph.com.sg


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