Man jailed after fight in prime mover leads to ex-colleague's death

A man was jailed for 20 months following his involvement in a fight that left his ex-colleague dead after his eye was impaled by a pair of animal antlers.

Yesterday, Saravanan Arimuram, 33, pleaded guilty to one count each of causing hurt by using a weapon that is likely to cause death, and doing a rash act to endanger the life of the deceased.

On the eve of Chinese New Year in February 2018, the deceased, Mr Sivakumar Perumal and his nephew, Mr Navin Partiban, 18, were having alcoholic drinks at the void deck of Block 53 Teban Gardens.

Mr Sivakumar was employed as a driver for Applied Logistics, and Mr Navin was working as a mover for the same company.

Saravanan, an ex-colleague of Mr Sivakumar, was at the same void deck drinking with another group.

At around 5pm, Mr Sivakumar decided to leave with Mr Navin, and Saravanan asked for a lift to Yishun.

Saravanan sat in the left front passenger seat, while Mr Navin sat between him and his uncle, who was the driver of the prime mover.

Midway through the journey, Saravanan asked the deceased if he could drop him off at Toa Payoh instead as he wanted to meet his girlfriend there.

But Mr Sivakumar did not want to do so as he had a dinner appointment and it would be inconvenient for him.

They quarrelled and Saravanan insisted on taking over the wheel.

STABBED

Mr Navin hurled a vulgarity at Saravanan and told his uncle to drop Saravanan off immediately.

"Upset, (Saravanan) grabbed a pair of antlers placed on the dashboard of the prime mover and stabbed Navin in the back with it," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim.

Mr Sivakumar then shouted at Saravanan and lost control of the vehicle.

The vehicle mounted a kerb before making a sharp and sudden turn across two lanes.

It mounted another kerb and climbed an embankment slope of the Teban Flyover before toppling on its left side.

In the process, the pair of antlers Saravanan was holding swung towards Mr Sivakumar's face. One of its branches broke off and was embedded into his left eye.

The pair of antlers was about 50cm high and 40cm long.

Mr Sivakumar could not be resuscitated and died in the hospital.

An autopsy report revealed that the branch impaled the deceased's left eyeball, severed it from its muscular attachments and pierced through the bones of the skull and into the brain.

A total of 14 external injuries were found on his body.

Mr Navin sustained a 15cm-deep stab wound beside his spine, superficial abrasions, and right ear trauma.

Saravanan suffered a laceration and tenderness over his ankle and foot.

DPP Lim asked for 20 months jail and said the antlers was a dangerous weapon with at least six pointed tips.

In mitigation, Saravanan's lawyer said the man wished to apologise for what he did and was seeking forgiveness from all parties involved.