Beach Road slashing: Man to be charged with attempted murder of wife, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Beach Road slashing: Man to be charged with attempted murder of wife

This article is more than 12 months old

A woman was slashed in Beach Road by a man on Thursday (April 14) afternoon, and her assailant is believed to be her husband.

The man, 46, had to be subdued by Taser before being arrested, said the police.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it received a call for assistance at 75 Beach Road at about 5.30pm.

Two people were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The police said it responded to a case of assault with a chopper at 75 Beach Road at about 5.30pm.

Upon arrival, officers found the woman, 41, with slash wounds at the scene, and the woman was sent to hospital conscious.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that the 46-year-old man had allegedly attacked the woman with a chopper.

"Prior to the officers' arrival, the man was believed to have slit his own wrists with a chopper."

It added the man was subsequently arrested, and sent to hospital conscious.

The chopper was seized and police investigations are ongoing.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Jeremy Ang, Commander of Central Police Division, said: "The Police would like to commend the members of the public who had intervened to prevent the man from causing further harm to the woman."

The alleged assailant will be charged in court on Saturday with attempted murder.Those convicted can be jailed for life, or up to 20 years with a fine, or both.

Police officers at the Liang Seah Street. PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

The police also said it is aware of videos circulating online of the incident and urged the public to refrain from circulating the videos and speculating on the case.

Several videos of the brutal assault have been circulating online and in message groups.

The man is clad in black T-shirt and trousers, wearing a black cap, and could be seen hacking at the woman with a weapon.

His hands were stained with blood.

Several members of the public, who appeared to be kitchen staff from a nearby hotpot restaurant, Zhong Hua Steamboat, were seen throwing various items, including chairs and pails, to ward off the attacker.

The man was seen running towards Beach Road, before running back towards a back alley of Liang Seah Street.

When ST reached the site at about 7pm, there were four police cars there and Zhong Hua Steamboat was cordoned off.

More than 10 police officers were present and blood stains were visible on the ground of the back alley.

A staff member from an eatery nearby, who wished to be known only as Ms Zhang, said she saw a woman running out from behind one of the shops and a man coming at her with a chopper.

He chased her to the front of the outlet, pressed her to the ground and hacked at her with the weapon.

Her head and face were bloodied.

About seven to eight employees from the hotpot restaurant ran out and threw items at him until he backed away, she added.

The ruckus lasted for about 10 minutes.

The owner of next-door restaurant, Chong Qing Origin Hotpot, who did not wish to be named, said the victim was one of his employees.

Mr Lim Yeong Chun, 44, who runs an online media site on the third storey of Liang Seah Place, a building on the street, said he and his colleagues heard a commotion from the toilet window and filmed the incident.

His video showed the man in the back alley.

One of his three colleagues who witnessed the slashing called the police.

Said Mr Lim: "We all felt it was very surreal. It's not something you usually see. There was a lot of blood all over the back alley streets."

A staff member of Zhong Hua Steamboat, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ning, said four employees from their restaurant came out to help.

He added in Mandarin: "I was a bit scared, but I also wanted to make sure the man didn't hurt anyone else."

Owner of Samurai BBQ, Mr Leonard Shi, 41, said he was smoking in the back alley when he heard a woman shouting and a man, about 1.6m tall, hacking at her with a chopper.

He hacked at her twice before the chopper broke and he continued, holding on to the chopper blade and pulling at her hair.

Mr Shi said: "My manager and I threw a road sign him. I shouted that I had called the police, but there was no response from him.

"I shouted at him to put his knife down and he came at me with the chopper. I backed away slowly."

Recalling the incident, Mr Shi said: "If I had not helped her, she would have died."

Helplines

• National Care Hotline:

1800-202-6868 (8am - 8pm)

Mental well-being

• Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline:

6389-2222 (24 hours)

• Samaritans of Singapore:

1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours)

• Singapore Association for Mental Health:

1800-283-7019

• Silver Ribbon Singapore:

6386-1928

• Tinkle Friend:

1800-274-4788 and www.tinklefriend.sg

• Community Health Assessment Team:

6493-6500/1 and www.chat.mentalhealth.sg

Counselling

• TOUCHline (Counselling):

1800-377-2252

• TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers):

6804-6555

• Care Corner Counselling Centre:

1800-353-5800

Online resources

• mindline.sg

• My Mental Health

• Fei Yue’s Online Counselling Service

• Tinkle Friend

• Community Health Assessment Team

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