Coffee shop operator shoves 80-year-old customer, leads to fatal head fracture
A dispute between a coffee shop operator and an elderly customer at a Singapore Pools outlet in Marine Parade turned deadly after the operator pushed the man, causing him to fall and suffer a fatal skull fracture.
On 10 March, 76-year-old Ho Ah Wah pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt and was sentenced to a 22-month jail sentence.
Another charge of voluntarily causing hurt was taken into consideration during the sentencing, reports The Straits Times (ST).
Customer had allegedly stolen kueh from operator’s stall
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Zhou Yang, the 80-year-old victim was a regular customer at Ho’s coffee shop.
A few months before the incident, the victim had stolen kueh from a stall within the shop. A stall owner, who rented the space from Ho, later informed him about the theft.
From then on, Ho kept a close eye on the man whenever he visited. This frustrated the victim, leading to tension between the two.
Heated argument at Singapore Pools turns violent
On 8 May 2022, at around 11am, both men crossed paths at the Singapore Pools outlet inside FairPrice supermarket in Marine Parade.
They soon began arguing, gesturing aggressively and hurling Hokkien vulgarities at each other.
Although Ho walked away at first, he soon returned to confront the victim and threw a punch at him, threatening:
Later, I wait for you outside.
Source: Google Maps
Customer hits his head & suffers 14.5cm-long skull fracture
Still fuming, Ho confronted the victim again shortly after.
He pushed the elderly man’s arm away, punched him in the head, and shoved him in the chest — causing the victim to fall backwards and hit his head against a wooden cabinet.
A bystander recorded the incident on his phone to ensure Ho could not escape, while a security guard intervened and called the police.
Though the victim initially sat on a stool to rest, he soon lost consciousness after stumbling backwards.
Paramedics rushed him to Changi General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A post-mortem report revealed the victim had suffered a 14.5cm-long skull fracture and internal bleeding.
The injury from his fall was determined to be the cause of death.
Source: iStock
Sentence lowered due to poor state of health
The prosecution initially sought a jail term of up to two years, arguing that Ho was the aggressor who initiated the violence.
However, the court reduced his sentence to 22 months, considering his age and multiple health issues, including prostate cancer, severe cataracts in both eyes, and spinal problems.
Ho could have faced up to five years in jail, a S$10,000 fine, or both
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