Murder trial: Father accused of scalding, abusing son had history of violence, court hears

SINGAPORE — Relatives of a man who was charged with abusing his five-year-old boy until he died of severe scald injuries in 2016 took the stand on Monday (Jan 20), as the court deliberated over whether he suffers from intermittent explosive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Ridzuan Mega Abdul Rahman and his wife Azlin Arujunah, both 27, face several charges of ill-treating and assaulting their child in a one-room rental flat and of committing murder with common intention. The child cannot be named due to a court order protecting the identities of his surviving siblings, 

The boy died from severe injuries on Oct 23, 2016 after being scalded with hot water.

Ridzuan’s older sister, Ms Norhafizah Mega Abdul Rahman, 35, told the court that he once strangled her after she accidentally kicked his pregnant wife’s belly during an argument, even though he knew that she was herself four to five months’ pregnant.

She recounted several other incidents to describe his hot temper, including one in which she witnessed him beating up a friend of their mother’s until his eyes bled.

In Ridzuan’s defence, his lawyers from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP submitted a report stating that he suffers from ADHD, intermittent explosive disorder and hypnotic use disorder, a condition in which the compulsive or repeated use of sedative-like drugs leads to behavioural problems or psychological changes.

BROTHER ‘ALWAYS IN A PANIC’, SAYS SISTER

Ms Norhafizah, who is a witness for the defence, told the court that she had taken Ridzuan and Azlin in after his release from the Boy’s Home at age 16, and bore their expenses because they were underaged at the time and could not work. 

They lived together in a flat for two to three years, together with Ridzuan’s and Ms Norhafizah’s mother and stepfather, as well as Ms Norhafizah’s five children.

She eventually told Ridzuan and Azlin to leave because she could not get along with Azlin, she said.

Ms Norhafizah, who now works as a GrabFood delivery rider, said that she had never seen Ridzuan get rough with her children, but that she had witnessed him flare up on several occasions, especially when there were “family problems”. 

For example, he had beaten up two of her ex-boyfriends, she said.

“He liked to interfere when I argued with my exes,” Ms Norhafizah said. “He would shout, lose his mind, ask the person to get out and beat the person up.” 

Ms Norhafizah also said that Ridzuan is an impatient person who does not like to talk through his issues and would rather “jump into action” first, even when the matter is minor. 

“He would take the easy route… He doesn’t know how to ‘discuss’,” she said.

One such small matter, she recalled, was when Ridzuan wanted to beat up a man who had accidentally knocked into his shoulder at a hawker centre. 

Ms Norhafizah, who was with her two children, aged six and seven at the time, had to hold him down to stop him. 

“He is always in a panic… He will be agitated and won’t think things through first. He will clench his fist and turn round and round,” she said. “Even when he is eating, he is impatient. When hungry, he will just gobble up the food.”

On the one time she became a victim of his wrath, Ms Norhafizah said that it was the angriest she had ever seen him. 

After she had accidentally kicked Azlin in the belly, he had shouted “Oi”, pushed her into a room and strangled her, before telling her that Aziln was pregnant.

He kept quiet, let go and left the room only after Ms Norhafizah replied: “How would I know?” 

HE WAS FAVOURITE GRANDCHILD

Ridzuan was never raised by his own parents, the court also heard. 

He was looked after by his grandmother and aunt, who “pampered” him, Ms Norhafizah said, noting that he was the family’s “favourite grandchild”.

Taking the stand on Monday as well was Ridzuan’s aunt, Madam Kasmah Latiff, who told the court that Ridzuan would often ask her for money when he wanted to go anywhere or buy anything.

The behaviour started from when he was around eight years old, when she would often take Ridzuan to her workplace since there was no one to look after him at home. 

Ridzuan would poke or shout at her if she refused to give him money for toys, she said. This behaviour worsened over the years, she added. 

As he got older, when she refused him money, he would hit her, punch the wall, raise his voice or throw things, she said.