Man in Singapore fined for injuring colleague by twisting his neck during massage
On Monday (27 Jan), a 32-year-old Muay Thai coach was fined S$3,000 for permanently injuring his colleague’s neck during a massage.
Ng Jian Ye Eugene pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt by endangering the safety of another person.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the incident occurred on 11 Nov 2022 when Ng approached the 31-year-old victim from behind while he was on the phone with a client at the office.
Ng placed one hand on the victim’s head and the other on his chin, twisting his neck once clockwise and then in the opposite direction.
Source: pcess609 on Canva, for illustration purposes only
This resulted in the victim suffering a cervical sprain or strain.
Had done this multiple times
In his mitigation plea, Ng’s defence argued that he had massaged the victim on multiple occasions at his request, using the same technique on the day of the incident.
Ng’s lawyers stated that he had learned sports massage techniques from his wushu coach and frequently offered massages to colleagues and friends to relieve pain and soreness.
It was noted that the victim did not react immediately as he was on the phone, and Ng left after the massage.
However, the victim later experienced discomfort and sought medical attention, where he was diagnosed with a sprained neck.
Source: Pexels, for illustration purposes only
Despite initial treatment, the victim’s pain persisted, and he was referred for an MRI scan in November 2022.
The scan revealed multiple levels of disc desiccation, with no prior conditions noted.
An orthopaedic surgeon subsequently prescribed hospitalisation leave until January 2024.
Incident reported to Human Resources
The victim reported the incident to the Human Resources department at his company, TDCX, which classified it as a workplace accident.
Initially, the company objected to an assessment that the victim had sustained a permanent incapacity.
However, after the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) referred the case to the Work Injury Compensation Board, a 15% permanent incapacity assessment was granted in September 2023.
The victim also filed a police report in December 2023.
Victim ‘did not show any signs of distress’
In mitigation, a friend of the victim testified that he seemed “completely normal” and “did not show any signs of distress” a month after the incident.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Melissa Heng countered this claim, noting that the medical report provided the most reliable assessment of the victim’s injury.
She stressed that the friend’s statement was not sufficient to prove the victim had not been in pain at the time.
DPP Heng also noted that Ng, despite being untrained, continued to perform massages on colleagues.
The penalty for causing grievous hurt by a negligent act can include up to two years in prison, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
Also read: 20-year-old Thai singer paralysed for a month & dies after neck-twisting massage
20-year-old Thai singer paralysed for a month & dies after neck-twisting massage
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