Jail and caning for slashing wife
She could have died after her husband slashed her throat with a knife.
Singaporean teacher Boomichelvi Ramasamy, 38, now suffers from sleepless nights and has a phobia of people coming close and harming her.
Her husband, Krishnan Karunakaran, 45, severed her jugular vein in the neck in the attack outside her fifth-storey flat at Block 244, Hougang Street 22, on Oct 27, 2013.
Krishnan, an Indian national, was sentenced to eight years' jail and nine strokes of the cane yesterday. He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count each of criminal intimidation and attempting to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
A second criminal intimidation charge and one count of attempting to voluntarily cause grievous hurt were taken into consideration.
The couple, who got married in a temple ceremony in 2011, separated in June 2013.
On Oct 26 that year, he met his estranged wife near her home to seek her help to extend his visa. He also asked to see their one-year-old daughter.
When she refused, Krishnan bought a knife with a 12.5cm blade at a Little India supermarket.
He confronted her in a lift the next day and slashed her throat following a scuffle.
Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir urged Justice Chan Seng Onn to jail Krishnan for a year to 18 months for criminal intimidation, and nine years with nine strokes for attempted culpable homicide.
Stressing that the injuries were potentially life-threatening, the DPP said: "The attack on the victim had been carried out with considerable premeditation and deliberation."
Krishnan's lawyer, Mr Eugene Thuraisingam, asked for not more than four years' jail without caning.
He said: "The offence in this case took place in a moment of impulse and folly. Krishnan had repeatedly tried to gain access to his daughter - which he is entitled to as a father - but Boomichelvi kept refusing his demands."
Calling the attack premeditated, Justice Chan told Krishnan: "There is no reason for you to resort to such violence even if you wanted to see your daughter. You took matters into your own hands."
For attempting to commit culpable homicide, Krishnan could have been jailed up to 15 years and fined or caned.
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