Man Sentenced to 8 Years, Nine Cane Strokes for Torturing Girlfriend with Saw and Hammer in Tampines

A 30-year-old man received seven years, 11 months and 191 days’ imprisonment plus nine strokes of the cane on 6 Jun 2025.

He pleaded guilty to ten charges including voluntarily causing hurt using a dangerous weapon, wrongful confinement and drug offences.

The court imposed an additional enhanced sentence of 472 days for committing the offences while under a remission order. He had previously been convicted of drug offences.

The man cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity. The couple is no longer in a relationship.

Violent Assault and Torture in Tampines Home

The abuse occurred in Jan 2023 at the man’s Tampines home where his girlfriend also lived. The woman wanted to leave home to meet her godfather.

The man dragged her into the bedroom, asking her if she was having an affair with her godfather. He hit her with a mop handle until she fell to the ground.

He forced her to strip naked and used her bra to tie her wrists together. Her shorts were used to tie up her feet.

The man then took a saw and pressed it against her thigh and hurt her with it. Seeing her hands had turned purple, he released her and took a video of her as she lay naked on the bed.

He continued tormenting her by using a wooden hammer to hit her on her head and thighs.

After the attack, the couple talked and she forgave him, according to Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Tan.

Additional Incidents of Abuse and Prison Violence

A separate incident took place in Sep 2022 when the woman received a call from an unknown number at home.

Thinking it was a male intern at her workplace who had called her, the man tied her hands to the bed with a cable tie and poured gas lighter fluid onto her body. The man held an open flame close to her chest, burning her.

He forced her to confess it was the male intern who had called. Even though it wasn’t, she did so to appease him.

He then released her and cooked for her.

In Jun 2022, while serving time in jail, the man became unhappy with a 62-year-old fellow inmate who asked him for bread. The man told the older inmate to leave, but he repeatedly asked for food.

Feeling challenged, the man punched the older inmate multiple times, kneed him in the chest and kicked him as he fell to the ground. The 62-year-old was rushed unconscious to hospital where he required resuscitation.

DPP Tan highlighted the aggravating factor that the man committed multiple offences against his girlfriend in a domestic relationship context. The prosecutor stated: “The victim said she had forgiven the accused, but that does not make what he did any less egregious.”

Defence lawyer A Revi Shanker said his client was diagnosed with major depressive disorder during the period of offending. The lawyer explained: “He was possessive of his girlfriend and was a bit jealous. The disorder contributed to his anger and the way he reacted, but what he did was not premeditated. He acknowledges the seriousness of his actions.”

Those convicted of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon face up to seven years’ imprisonment, fines and caning. Wrongful confinement carries a maximum penalty of three years’ jail, fines, or both.

In Singapore, domestic violence cases have seen increased attention in recent years, with authorities emphasizing the importance of victim protection and rehabilitation for offenders.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has strengthened support networks, such as the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH), to encourage victims to seek help early and ensure swift intervention in abusive situations. These efforts aim to break the cycle of abuse and provide holistic care for both survivors and perpetrators.

Mental health considerations are increasingly being taken into account during sentencing for violent offences in Singapore.

While diagnoses such as major depressive disorder may be presented as mitigating factors, the courts maintain that mental illness does not excuse criminal behavior, especially in cases involving repeated violence or premeditated acts.