Six months jail for chef who wielded knife and chopper in fight
Fine, caning for Malaysian for his role in coffee shop row
A chef picked up a knife and chopper at the coffee shop where he worked, but making a meal was the last thing on his mind.
Instead, Hoo Chun Yong, 37, wielded a blade in each hand as a row escalated into a fight that saw a cup of ice, a claypot and plastic chairs hurled across KPT coffee shop in Jalan Tenaga.
The Malaysian national was sentenced to six months' jail, six strokes of the cane and a $500 fine yesterday for his role in the altercation.
He was sentenced for two offences - carrying an offensive weapon in a public place and being a public nuisance.
The court heard that Hoo brandished a knife and a chopper at Malaysians Liew Jian Xiong, 32, and Tee Leong Mau, 36, after the latter had asked to meet him at his workplace on Sept 6 last year.
During the meeting, Tee alleged that Hoo used Tee's name to collect money from Liew's wife, which Hoo denied.
Angered, Tee slapped Hoo twice in the face and once on the head before throwing a cup of ice at him and challenging him to a fight.
Hoo took a 20cm-long knife from his bag and a 16cm-long chopper from his stall. Holding one blade in each hand, he approached Tee and Liew and shouted at them.
In response, Tee and Liew picked up plastic chairs.
Both sides shouted and gestured aggressively.
HAMMER
Tee also took out a hammer he had taken to the meeting.
Both sides threw the chairs at one another and, at one point, Liew picked up a claypot and flung it at Hoo, but missed.
The 2½-minute exchange was captured on surveillance cameras. It is not known whether anyone suffered injuries.
Tee and Liew have both been dealt with.
For carrying an offensive weapon in a public place, Hoo could have been jailed for up to three years.
He was given the minimum of six strokes of the cane for the offence.
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