Drug addiction is a serious problem that bears heavy consequences on the abuser and those around them. Therefore, Singapore has a zero-tolerance approach for those who influence others to try drugs.
However, Mr Teo Kok Yung, 35, decided to take matters into his own hands when he stabbed his housemate for introducing him to drugs.
On Thursday (21 Apr), he was given a jail term of one year and 10 months.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Mr Teo stabbed his 39-year-old housemate on 12 Nov 2020.
He was home with his sister and the victim when the incident occurred and was allegedly under the influence of cannabis or methamphetamine then.
Around midnight, Mr Teo accepted the cannabis that his victim offered and went to sleep after consuming it.
At around 4am, he woke up feeling angry. When he found his victim in the kitchen, he repeatedly slashed and stabbed him using a kukri knife with a 28cm-long blade.
Source: Wikipedia. For illustration purposes only.
He aimed for the torso and back of the victim, who tried blocking the blows with his hands. Eventually, the victim was able to subdue Mr Teo and took the knife from him.
Mr Teo’s sister, awoken by the ruckus, then called the ambulance for assistance.
CNA reported that the victim was brought to the hospital with stab wounds all over his back, chest, arms, stomach, and face. He was also suffering from a collapsed lung.
He had to receive invasive surgery involving the insertion of a chest drain and was put out of action for 20 days.
Mr Teo was also arrested when paramedics arrived at the scene and called the police.
During investigations, Mr Teo admitted that he was upset at his housemate for introducing him to drugs and causing him to become an abuser. However, he said that he had no intention of killing him.
A psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) assessed him and said that he was labouring under the intoxicating effects of cannabis or methamphetamine at the material time, which contributed significantly to his persecutory ideas.
Source: Google Maps
Nevertheless, the psychiatrist decided that he was still conscious and aware of his actions and their consequences. This is especially since he was able to distinguish between the victim and his sister, and acted to “cut” or “injure” without killing him.
Furthermore, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Kee said the attack was “unprovoked and one-sided”, seeking a year to 27 months’ jail for him.
On Thursday (21 Apr), he was sentenced to a year and 10 months’ jail.
Given the terrible effects of drug abuse, introducing someone to drugs is definitely a deplorable act.
However, at the end of the day, we are responsible for our own decisions and actions, and must accept their consequences.
Furthermore, nothing good can ever come out of violence.
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Featured image adapted from Wikipedia for illustration purposes only.
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