SINGAPORE: A migrant worker was on Wednesday (Mar 15) jailed for four months and seven weeks after hitting his room-mate with a metal dumbbell rod.
Vietnam national Le Dong Hai, 31, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt in the incident on Jan 19.
At about 10.20pm, he returned to his lodgings from work and went into the bedroom, where the 34-year-old victim was sleeping in bed.
Le asked his room-mate where his rice cooker was, but the other man said he did not know, the court heard.
He left the bedroom but returned a short while later, and asked his room-mate where his rice cooker was. The man again said he did not know.
This angered Le, who went into the living room and picked up a metal dumbbell rod, which was 29cm long and weighed about 2kg.
He entered the bedroom and swung the rod at his room-mate, who was lying down with his back facing Le. He hit his roommate’s head around the left ear.
The victim, who had not seen Le coming, felt a sharp pain and noticed he was bleeding around his left ear. His employer was informed and made a police report.
The victim was taken to a hospital and found to have a cut on his left ear, bruising on the left side of his face and blurred vision.
Le was arrested on Jan 20.
Addressing the court through a Vietnamese interpreter, Le said that he was sorry for his actions and asked for leniency.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Quek Lu Yi asked for a jail sentence of between four months and seven weeks, and five months and 10 weeks.
She argued for a longer jail sentence because of the use of the metal dumbbell rod, which has the potential for severe injury or death.
Ms Quek also noted that the victim’s blurred vision was temporary and resolved in a few days and that the victim was warded and discharged on the same day.
Delivering the sentence, District Judge Lee Lit Cheng noted that the attack was unprovoked, and took place when the victim was lying down in a vulnerable position and was taken by surprise.