In a shocking incident, Nabil Erfan Kamil, 29, plunged into a state of paranoia and violence after a drug-fuelled session and slashed another man with a chopper for “staring” at him, according to a report by The New Paper.
He pleaded guilty to a count of voluntarily causing hurt and another count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, and was sentenced to 31 months and 6 weeks imprisonment on 11 January, along with 6 strokes of the cane.
The Unsettling Encounter
On 14 July 2022, Nabil, who had consumed cannabis and was high and having a cannabis-induced psychotic disorder at the time, invited the victim to his flat to chat after spotting him at the ground floor of Block 116 Jalan Bukit Merah.
He then went into his kitchen to retrieve a chopper measuring 30cm (including the 20cm blade) and hid it behind his back, with the victim failing to notice Nabil returning because he had been using his phone.
Looking up from his phone after feeling something on his neck, the victim saw Nabil holding onto a chopper and slashing him as he raised his hands to protect himself.
However, Nabil continued his attack and slashed the victim’ wrist, hand and knee, before the attacker’s father rushed out to hold his son back to let the victim escape.
Nabil told his father that he wanted to kill the victim because he had been “staring” at him.
When he finally sobered up from the drug effects, Nabil appeared confused and cried after his father told him what he had done, and he wanted to apologise to the victim whom he had brutally slashed.
Legal Ramifications
The aftermath of Nabil’s actions led to serious legal consequences. On January 11, 2023, he was sentenced to 31 months’ and six weeks’ jail time, accompanied by six strokes of the cane. The charges included voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon. The court considered Nabil’s voluntary consumption of cannabis and diagnosed cannabis use disorder as aggravating factors.
The Institute of Mental Health’s report highlighted that Nabil suffered from psychotic symptoms induced by cannabis use. His reported auditory hallucinations and paranoia prior to the incident underscore the severe impact of drug abuse on mental health.
District Judge Wong Peck, during sentencing, emphasized the fortuity that the victim recovered without permanent damage. She acknowledged Nabil’s cannabis use disorder but deemed his intoxication as self-induced, aggravating the severity of the offence.
Previous Incidents
This was not Nabil’s first encounter with aggression. Less than a year before the slashing, he attacked a security guard at Rivervale Mall in a fit of aggression. These incidents paint a concerning picture of escalating violence and erratic behavior.