Man jailed for stabbing estranged wife

A removal man who stabbed his estranged wife in front of their two young sons was jailed for 10 months yesterday.

Suresh David Narasimmalu, 29, had been on a Deepavali shopping and dinner outing with Ms Vasentha Kumari, 30, and their boys, aged five and seven, when the pair began arguing as they walked along Race Course Road in Little India on Oct 18 last year.

He pulled out a Swiss army knife from his sling bag and stabbed her in the abdomen before fleeing in a taxi.

Ms Kumari, who was left bleeding, called the police and needed emergency surgery. She spent six days in hospital.

Narasimmalu was arrested several hours later at the void deck of his brother's home.

The court heard that the couple were in the middle of a divorce.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Carene Poh said Narasimmalu's knife attack was "not only vicious but gratuitous".

In mitigation, Narasimmalu's lawyer said his client's actions were not premeditated but provoked by his wife - who had left him for another man.

He added that Narasimmalu had been "under enormous stress from the failed marriage, not being able to see his children daily and from the betrayal of the victim".

The defence lawyer also explained that Narasimmalu was carrying the knife as a work tool.

For voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous means, Narasimmalu could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined or caned, or any such combination.

andreang@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 12, 2015.
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