Man beats up colleague for insulting mum
Baker hit him 24 times with iron rod, causing injuries to head, chest, knee
It was a moment where the 53-year-old baker snapped. In a work-related dispute, Chelladurai Nadarajan had initially ignored his colleague's verbal abuse and challenge for a fight.
The colleague, Mr Wang Git Han, had been ranting for about 5 minutes at around 3am on Nov 29, last year.
But when Mr Wang uttered a Hokkien racial slur against Chelladurai's mother, who had died recently, all hell broke loose in the Bedok bakery.
Chelladurai hit Mr Wang over and over with a 70cm-long, 1.5cm-wide metal rod.
According to video footage shown in court, he hit him almost 24 times, despite a colleague intervening and trying to stop the attack.
The injuries left Mr Wang in hospital for 27 days.
Yesterday, Chelladurai, a Malaysian who used to work with Sweetleaf Bakery and Deli in Bedok North, was sentenced to a month's jail for voluntarily causing hurt on a grave and sudden provocation.
District Judge Kessler Soh told Chelladurai to exercise some control in future.
Mr Soh said: "I noted it (the verbal provocation) made you angry and upset... But that (Chelladurai's attack) was excessive in my view."
Defence lawyer Cheng Kim Kuan, who had recommended a custodial sentence of not more than a month, said his client did not invite the verbal abuse.
Mr Cheng argued that Chelladurai did not deserve a sentence of more than a month because the injuries suffered by Mr Wang were not too serious.
Given it was a metal rod that was used in the attack, Mr Wang would have surely suffered more, he said.
Said Mr Cheng: "When my client took part in what he did, it was a result of a loss of self-control."
INJURIES
Court documents showed Mr Wang had suffered a fracture of the right knee, a 7cm laceration on the forehead and multiple abrasions over the left chest and right knee.
The prosecution, on the other hand, had asked for a longer jail term - between one and three months.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sivabalan Thanabal had cited significant aggravating factors.
Among them, Chelladurai had used a dangerous weapon on the victim's head. The metal rod is normally used to remove baked goods from the oven.
Chelladurai's assault was also prolonged and sustained even when the victim was already in a submissive position, said Mr Sivabalan.
He said: "The length of the attack and the number of hits is a testament to the viciousness of the accused in meting out as much harm as he could inflict.
"It is fortuitous that the victim did not suffer any long term injuries."
Chelladurai has since paid $2,300 to Mr Wang as compensation for his medical expenses.
He could have been jailed up to three months, fined up to $2,500 or both.
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