SINGAPORE — A 71-year-old man has been sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail over a stabbing attack, after a judge rejected his claim that he had acted in self-defence against a known gangster.

Quah Tat Khim had claimed trial to one count of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, which was a fruit knife with a 12cm-long blade. The victim was Poh Yew Chye, who was aged 56 at the time.

In his defence, Quah did not dispute that he had stabbed the victim, but said he had believed that the man was about to attack him with an unspecified weapon.

Quah was convicted on March 3 this year over the attack near a public housing block in Ang Mo Kio in February 2020.

As a result of Quah's assault, Mr Poh sustained a 3cm cut on his left elbow, an 8cm to 10cm cut over his right knee and partially cut muscles.

Quah made restitution of S$1,390.40 for the victim's medical bills in May this year after the trial had concluded.

THE TRIAL

Court documents prepared by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Huo Jiongrui showed that Quah was walking from a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio towards his home on the evening of Feb 18, 2020, when he approached and attacked Mr Poh with the fruit knife.

The attack was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Footage showed that Quah lunged towards Mr Poh with the knife in his hands while the victim continuously moved backwards with both hands stretched out in front of him.

Despite the victim's attempt to move backward and away from Quah, he got stabbed twice.

Quah then moved away from the victim and exchanged a few words with the victim before walking out of the frame while the victim limped away.

Court documents did not elaborate on the reason for Quah's attack although he claimed during the trial that Mr Poh had threatened him a day earlier.

He also claimed that he believed Mr Poh was about to attack him with an unspecified weapon on the day of the incident.

In his defence, Quah claimed that Mr Poh was a gangster and that everyone in public housing blocks 630, 631 and 632 in Ang Mo Kio was afraid of him.

Quah also alleged that Mr Poh had threatened him with a foldable knife the previous day, Feb 17, 2020, when Mr Poh had demanded that Quah give him the name of a person who had allegedly bad-mouthed Mr Poh.

DPP Huo stated that as each stab inflicted by Quah was targeted at the victim's body, there was nothing accidental or inadvertent about how Quah caused hurt to the victim.

It was not due to Quah swinging the knife wildly to ward off an aggressor, he added.

During his trial, Quah did not deny the veracity of the footage captured but alleged that it was "not a complete video" because the victim had tried to fight back when they were obscured from the camera by pillars in the area.

Neither of these claims were supported by objective evidence.

When cross-examined about the footage, Quah gave a version of events that was found by the judge to be inconsistent with the evidence and the previous statements he had made to police when he turned himself in.

Quah claimed that his mind was "in a mess" when the statements were recorded.

During his testimony, Quah claimed that he had acted in self-defence against the victim who he alleged was a "hardened and operating gangster" and who had concocted an elaborate scheme to harass and extort money from him.

THE SENTENCE

Speaking on Quah's behalf during a submission in mitigation, defence lawyer R Dilip Kumar said that every individual was entitled to have their day in court.

Mr Dilip stated that though Quah had been convicted after the trial, that should not be held against the family man who had surrendered himself and the weapon to the police after the incident.

In delivering her sentence, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said that the focus here was on the actual hurt caused by Quah's actions that resulted in partially cut muscles for Mr Poh.

The judge said that during the trial, Quah also showed a continuous lack of remorse in his attempts to "besmirch" the victim. The CCTV footage showed a degree of persistence in the attack that could not be disregarded, she added.

For causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, Quah could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined or caned, or punished with any combination of the three.