Enraged by what his son said to him, a father rained blows on the then ten-year-old boy’s face and body, causing two facial fractures.

The father, 51, who cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity, was sentenced to 12 months’ jail on Thursday (7 September) after admitting to one count of causing grievous hurt to his son. The managing director for a company had originally claimed trial but decided to plead guilty after the first day of the trial on 10 August this year, before his son, now 12, could testify.

Another count of voluntarily causing hurt to the man’s wife, who had shielded her son from his father’s punches, was taken into consideration for sentencing. The assault on 28 May 2015 was witnessed by the family’s domestic helper, who called the police for help.

Seven years before the incident, the father’s relationship with his wife had soured and both were going through a divorce at the time of the incident. However, the couple were still living together, with the mother sharing a room with her son upstairs and the father staying in his own room downstairs.

On the day of the incident, the father had scolded his son about his grades at their landed home in Yio Chu Kang, upsetting the boy. Later that night, at around 10.12pm, after having some drinks, the father went to the room which mother and son shared and began talking to the mother about the boy.

The boy, who was also in the room, heard his father criticising him and said, “You like that woman more than us, why do you care for us so much.”

Infuriated, the father shouted, “What you say?” and the boy repeated his remarks, spurring his father to punch and kick him on the face and body. The father also pulled the boy’s hair and arms. The boy, who was lying on the floor, tried to defend himself with both hands.

The mother immediately tried to intervene and shield her son with her body, resulting in her husband kicking her on her back. The father then pushed his wife aside, causing her to fall backwards and hit her back on a vase and a safe box. As a result, the vase broke.

In between blows, the boy uttered “you f**k the women” at his father, and his father pummelled him on the face. The maid saw the assault and called the police immediately. Police officers who arrived at the scene placed the father under arrest and noted that the boy had swelling on his head and face.

The boy was brought to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on 29 May 2015 for medical treatment. A medical report dated 24 August 2015 diagnosed the boy with bruises and two fractures on his face.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Kuek Foo sought 15 months’ jail for the father, arguing that the assault was “serious and extended in nature”. The son was a vulnerable victim who was defenceless against the accused, said the prosecution.

In mitigation, the father’s lawyer Ravinderpal Singh said that his client was “naturally infuriated” with his son and wife’s behaviour but unfortunately, he snapped.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim said that the father “really overreacted” in this case. She noted that the punches led to fractures, which she could not ignore. She also took into account that the father was a first offender and had spared his son having to take the stand by pleading guilty during the trial.

The father has been placed on a $20,000 bail pending a possible appeal. For causing grievous hurt, he could have been jailed up to 10 years with fine and caning.