SINGAPORE — A man who attacked three others outside a cineplex at Orchard Road last December has been sentenced to jail and six strokes of the cane.

Describing 23-year-old cleaner Lukman Nurhakim M Thamrin as a “grand thug”, District Judge Mathew Joseph sentenced him today (Nov 1) to three years and nine months’ jail.

Lukman viciously assaulted three men within 10 minutes outside Cathay Cineleisure on Dec 27 last year at about 10pm.

Lukman and one of the victims, Mr Muhammad Hanafi Sanif, 22, had a dispute after the former alleged that Mr Muhammad Hanafi had insulted his friend, and went on to punch the victim.

Salesman Muhammad Safuan Mohamed Nasil, 23, who was with Mr Muhammad Hanafi at the time, rushed to intervene and was punched and slammed to the ground by the accused.

Lukman also hit a Mr Muhammad Hussein Ahmad during the incident.

He faces a fourth charge of housebreaking in April this year.

These two charges were taken into consideration for sentencing purposes.

During sentencing, District Judge Joseph called the attack “a senseless and unprovoked assault” which was “made heinous by the thuggish conduct of the accused”.

He said this was “one of the worst cases of aggravated assault seen by this court”.

The judge noted that the extreme violence inflicted on Mr Muhammad Safuan was “severely repugnant and brutally wicked”.

He added that the accused has a propensity for violence, having been sent for reformative training for rioting and causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.

“He has now re-offended barely two years after his release, and clearly has not learnt his lesson from his previous term of RTC,” said District Judge Joseph.

For causing grievous hurt, Lukman could have been jailed up to 10 years, fined and caned. CHANNEL NEWSASIA