Man gets jail time for assaulting ex-girlfriend who received flowers from another man in a nightclub

SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old man was sentenced to a week in jail on Wednesday (Nov 20) for punching and kicking his ex-girlfriend in her own home out of jealousy.

Zachary Chung Wei Yik pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing pain, while another charge of mischief was included in the sentencing.

The hearing began when District Judge James Elisha Lee decided not to impose a gag order on the victim’s identity.

The accuser had sought the gag order, saying it was to prevent her from being re-victimized by unwanted scrutiny and shame.

Lawyer James Ow Yong argued that this meant Chung’s identity would also be protected as the victim could be identified through her romantic interactions with him.

But Judge Lee allowed the victim to be named because the attack was not sexual in nature and she was not protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.

The victim, a 40-year-old South Korean woman, worked at a nightclub in the Orchard district. She met Chung in March 2022 and they started a relationship.

They broke up in May 2023 but were still seeing each other. A few days before the attack, they had an argument when Chung had another woman.

In the early hours of September 12, 2023, Chung was drinking with friends at the club where the victim worked when he saw another patron buying her flowers.

Buying flower garlands for female hostesses and performers is a common practice in nightclubs in Singapore.

Chung became jealous when he saw this and spent more than S$1,300 (US$970) buying flowers for the victim. He later saw her leaving the club with the other patron.

At approximately 5:30 a.m., the victim returned home but could not find the key to her home, which she kept outside in a shoe.

Chung then emerged from the elevator with the key in his hand. He started hitting and kicking his ex-girlfriend, including in her face and head.

As he attacked her, Chung asked for the identity of the patron who left the club with her. He then dragged her to her house.

Inside, he cut the woman’s clothing and a soft toy belonging to her, forming the mischief charge.

After the attack, Chung stayed the night. The next afternoon, the victim began to feel pain from her injuries.

Chung took her to the hospital for treatment, and she was admitted for a check-up. The abuse was reported by the doctor who cared for her.

The woman suffered bruising, swelling and abrasions on various parts of her body. A day later, she was fired and given five days of medical leave.

Cosmetic fillers in the woman’s face were also displaced during the attack. She was unable to work until she returned from South Korea on Oct. 17, 2023, after receiving treatment, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor, who asked for a short prison sentence, described the attack as “brutal”, arguing that Chung targeted the victim’s head and face.

He said that although Chung reimbursed about S$1,600 for the victim’s medical expenses, which totaled more than S$2,400, he only did so after she told him she did not have enough money to pay the costs.

Defense counsel Mr Ow Yong said there was a context of mutual accusations of infidelity between Chung and the victim, and that his client acted out of a loss of control over his emotions.

He said the victim’s injuries were minor and that Chung did not intend to inflict injuries in those specific areas. “It was more of a rampage than a targeted attack,” the lawyer said.

He also argued that the attack was not premeditated and that Chung did not intend to ambush the victim. He had an appointment to meet her at her home that evening and was there for a “social purpose”, Mr Ow Yong said.

“He was by all accounts a welcome guest at her home,” said Mr Ow Yong, who asked for a fine of S$5,000.

Judge Lee questioned whether the victim only allowed Chung to stay because she was traumatized by the attack, but the lawyer said there was nothing to suggest this.

In sentencing, the judge pointed out that Chung had attacked the victim without any provocation on her part and that it was a one-sided attack.

He was also inspired by the case of Shawn Tan Jia Jun, who was jailed for two weeks for hitting and kicking his then girlfriend when she was nine weeks pregnant.

The judge said Chung’s offenses were less egregious than Tan’s, but the threshold for jail time was still exceeded given the injuries his ex-girlfriend suffered and the nature of the attack.

Chung will begin serving his sentence on December 13, 2024, after being granted a reprieve to settle employment matters.

The penalty for voluntarily causing pain is a prison sentence of up to three years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.