Source: Wikimedia Commons & spyross007 on Canva for illustration purposes only
A 36-year-old motorcyclist is facing seven charges after he allegedly bit off part of a man’s ear during a road dispute along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).
Ronald Koh, a Singaporean, is contesting two of the charges: voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
The trial began on Tuesday (10 Feb) and is ongoing, with Koh representing himself in court and conducting his own cross-examination.
According to CNA, the incident allegedly occurred at about 2pm on 26 Feb 2024 near the Sims Way exit along the PIE towards Changi.
Koh is accused of striking 63-year-old renovation contractor Quak Beng Gim on his lower back and stepping on his left foot.
He is also alleged to have bitten the left ear of Mr Quak’s son, Fabian Quak Wei Quan, who is in his 20s, severing the upper outer portion of the ear.
Source: spyross007 on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Testifying in court, Mr Quak recounted that he had been driving his Lexus in the fourth lane of the PIE, with his son seated in the front passenger seat.
As he attempted to filter into the third lane, a lorry travelling alongside honked at the motorcyclist.
The rider then moved ahead of his vehicle. Fearing a collision, Mr Quak sounded his horn in response.
Source: rattanakun on Canva, for illustration purposes only
He told the court that the motorcyclist reacted with repeated hand gestures.
Although he initially intended to continue driving, he decided to pull over when the gestures persisted.
His son had lowered the window to ask what the issue was, and an exchange of vulgarities allegedly followed.
Describing the rider as visibly angry, Mr Quak said he felt “very nervous” when the motorcyclist signalled for him to stop.
He pulled over onto the road shoulder and instructed his son to remain in the car before stepping out to confront the rider, asking him in Hokkien: “What do you want?”
Mr Quak testified that the situation escalated after both parties exited their vehicles.
When his son stepped out, the accused allegedly pushed him to the ground. Mr Quak said he intervened and grabbed the rider, leading to a physical struggle.
His son also became involved, and the pair fell onto a grassy patch beside the road.
Soon after, his son said he had been bitten on the ear. Mr Quak told the court the bleeding was substantial.
He said his son asked for help locating the missing portion of his ear. After searching the area near a roadside drain, his son found it and wrapped it in tissue.
They later drove to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
Source: Google Maps, for illustration purposes only
Mr Quak explained that they chose the hospital as it was near their home, and he had stopped to retrieve a spare pair of spectacles because his son’s glasses had been damaged during the altercation.
He added that he only realised he had sustained injuries after returning home, when his wife noticed bruising on his torso.
His foot was swollen, and he was given two days’ medical leave.
During cross-examination, Koh suggested that the father and son had taken turns attacking him.
He claimed he was punched, had his helmet visor torn off and his jacket ripped, and that his eyes were gouged during the scuffle.
Addressing the ear injury, Koh denied intentionally biting it off and suggested that Mr Quak might have caused the injury instead.
He told the court he was “half-blind” amid the struggle and bit down when “appendages” were pushed into his mouth.
If convicted of causing grievous hurt, Koh faces up to 10 years’ jail and may also be fined or caned.
A conviction for voluntarily causing hurt carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
Also read: S’pore Construction Worker Bites Off Man’s Earlobe While Intoxicated, Gets 5 Months’ Jail
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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons and spyross007 on Canva, for illustration purposes only.