SINGAPORE: A knife-wielding man who was shot by the police after attacking random passers-by and charging at officers was sentenced to 33 months’ jail on Wednesday (Oct 26).
Soo Cheow Wee, 50, pleaded guilty last month to four charges including voluntarily causing hurt by using a cutting instrument, criminal intimidation and causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.
Another four charges were considered in sentencing.
District Judge Luke Tan questioned the prosecutor on his submission for five years’ corrective training for Soo. The prosecutor cited the corrective training report, which said Soo’s propensity for violent reoffending is high.
Judge Tan said he was “troubled” by Soo’s situation, which is “a little bit” unique. Soo has a condition that seems to be triggered by what he consumes, he said, pointing to a report from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
Defence lawyer Chooi Jing Yen said his client has been trying to reform himself and avoid drugs in recent years.
Citing the corrective training report, he said Soo has managed to remain drug-free since 2017.
“Whilst it’s not appropriate for him to abuse cough syrup without prescription, to a certain extent he was doing that to cope with withdrawal from other heavier drugs,” said Mr Chooi.
He said his client had wanted to be taken to the police station.
WHAT SOO DID
Soo had gone to Geylang on Feb 17 this year and drunk cough syrup and diazepam – a drug used to treat conditions such as anxiety and alcohol withdrawal – without prescriptions. He then took a knife and loitered along a pavement in Clementi, randomly swinging the knife at pedestrians on the instruction of a voice he heard.
Soo, who was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, injured a 41-year-old man on his evening stroll by slashing his arm.
He then flagged a taxi and asked to be driven to Clementi Police Division, but tried to alight while the cab was still moving.
He charged towards the taxi driver when the latter alighted to check on him, and the cabby drove off to Clementi Police Division to alert the police.
When police officers arrived, Soo shouted incoherently with the knife in his hand, and suddenly charged towards one of them.
Sensing an imminent threat to the life and safety of the police officers, the officer fired a round from his service revolver, striking Soo, who fell down.
He was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening and has been remanded since.
Soo also admitted to a previous incident in 2019 where he punched the face of an auxiliary police officer thrice. He did so after abusing cough syrup without a prescription. He was trying to return to a police station he was just released on bail from for drug consumption offences.