SINGAPORE: A man who turned up uninvited at his ex-girlfriend's birthday party and stabbed her with a knife was sentenced to a year's jail on Tuesday (Sep 3).
Basnayake Keith Spencer, 31, had dated 29-year-old Danielle Joan Pereira from August 2015 to November 2016.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, Spencer's parents did not approve of his girlfriend, so they ended their relationship although the pair stayed in contact.
For her birthday last year, the victim booked an apartment at Icon Village from Sep 12 to Sep 14. Although he had not been invited, Spencer turned up at the venue at around 1am on Sep 13, 2018.
Ms Pereira let him in "out of goodwill" and Spencer began smoking methamphetamine.
He then took a 34cm-long kitchen knife from the kitchen and approached the victim in the living room, before stabbing her in the buttock area.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe woman panicked and tried to stand up, but collapsed to the floor from the stab wound.
VICTIM ASKED EVERYONE ELSE TO LEAVE
Spencer replaced the knife in its stand, while the victim shouted for everyone to leave for their safety.
Spencer sat on the sofa in the living room and spoke to his ex-girlfriend, saying she had "taken away" his parents.
He then called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and said: "I stabbed my friend."
He added that she was bleeding from her "lower back and kidney".
The woman was taken to hospital and had seven stitches applied to her wound, which was 4cm long and 8cm deep.
Spencer was taken to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre a few days later for consuming methamphetamine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Lim had asked for at least 14 months' jail, saying the assault was unprovoked and had been carried out under the influence of drugs.
The victim was given 25 days of medical leave, he added.
Spencer's defence lawyer said Spencer did not leave the scene and had called for an ambulance for the victim.
District Judge Kessler Soh told Spencer that he had caused the victim a very serious injury when he stabbed her with the long knife. While he noted that Spencer did call for help after and made restitution, an appropriate sentence was needed for the serious injury.
For voluntarily causing hurt to the woman with a knife, Spencer could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these penalties.
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