Nearly two years' jail for man who, while out on bail for assault, ganged up with others to attack two men

SINGAPORE - While out on bail for assault, a man ganged up with others to attack two men over a "staring incident".

A district court heard that one man was slashed on the arm, another suffered a facial fracture and the third victim had a ruptured eardrum.

Vicknessh Sittrasu, now 23, was sentenced on Thursday (May 21) to a year, eight months and eight weeks' jail after pleading guilty to a harassment charge and three assault charges, including one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

The court heard that around 10am on June 10, 2018, Mr Rajah Murugian, 45, was setting up some tables and chairs at the void deck of Block 440, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 for an event organised by a Hindu temple when Vicknessh confronted him in an aggressive manner.

Vicknessh's father, who was nearby, pulled his son away and took him home at the same block.

Still unhappy, Vicknessh armed himself with a chopper, returned to the void deck and attacked Mr Rajah about two hours later, causing a wound at the back of the older man's left arm.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Timotheus Koh said that Vicknessh's father managed to disarm his son and the assailant then fled towards Block 409. The police were notified and officers arrested the offender.

Thirteen days later, while out on bail, Vicknessh reoffended.

He was at a restaurant in Dunlop Street in Little India with Viikneesh Koh, now 24, and a man known only as "Wan" at around 6am on June 23, 2018, when they approached another group of men over a "staring incident".

A scuffle broke out and some members of the other group managed to run away.

Vicknessh and his alleged accomplices then rained blows on Mr Gopinathan Vithiligam and Mr Sridarsa Sivanathan, who were both 29 at the time.

The police were alerted and Mr Gopinathan was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he was found with facial injuries and a fracture near his right eye.

Mr Sridarsa went to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital later that day. He was found with injuries including a ruptured eardrum and a bruised face.

The court heard that doctors assessed that the perforations to Mr Sridarsa's eardrum would take about three months to heal.

Koh's case is still pending while court documents did not reveal details about Wan.

Separately, Vicknessh also committed harassment when he hurled vulgarities at a policeman after a drinking session at Farrer Park Road on March 6 last year.

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.

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