A 47-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to eight months and three weeks in jail after confronting two colleagues with swords following a disagreement that began with a joke about free food and drinks.
The man, identified as Hong Weiping, pleaded guilty to five charges, including possession of a deadly weapon, attempting to cause hurt with a dangerous weapon and committing a rash act causing hurt. A further 10 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
According to Shin Min Daily News, The incident happened on the evening of May 22, 2025, after Hong had been drinking with two colleagues at a coffee shop at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. According to reports, the group had been drinking from around 7pm, with Hong consuming about 10 beers.
Dispute escalated after a joke
During the gathering, Hong’s colleagues reportedly joked that he was only staying because he was getting free food and drinks. Hong took offence at the comments and left the coffee shop before returning home.
His colleagues later contacted him and asked him to come back. Hong told them he was already at home and suggested meeting downstairs at his block instead. The two men subsequently went to the area.
Hong then retrieved two swords from his flat before heading downstairs. At around 9.45pm, he saw his colleagues arriving at the carpark in their vans and approached them.
According to court information reported by local media, Hong placed the two swords on the ground and challenged the men to each take one, saying that he would fight them using his bare hands. However, neither colleague left their vehicle.
Hong then picked up the swords again and approached the vans. He struck both vehicles with the handles of the swords while shouting at the occupants.
Police called after sword-wielding incident
The two colleagues eventually drove away, with Hong reportedly following them for a short distance while still holding the swords before returning home.
Four members of the public witnessed the incident and contacted the police. Officers subsequently investigated the matter and discovered that Hong had five swords and a katana stored at his flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
The case did not end there. Two days later, on May 24, Hong was involved in another disturbance at a coffee shop at Block 407 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
At around 7.30am, a man was walking past the coffee shop with his parents when Hong reportedly became agitated and threw a plastic chair, hitting the man in the mouth. A coffee shop assistant who intervened was subsequently struck in the head by another chair.
Further confrontation leads to arrest
The situation escalated when the man’s father and the coffee shop assistant attempted to stop Hong. He reportedly punched both men during the confrontation.
A person responsible for looking after a nearby shrine then approached to find out what was happening. Hong allegedly shouted at the man before throwing another chair, which struck his arm.
Police officers arrived and arrested Hong at the scene. He was subsequently taken to Woodlands Police Station, where he continued shouting and swearing at officers.
The court later handed Hong a jail sentence of eight months and three weeks after he pleaded guilty to five charges. The remaining 10 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The case serves as a reminder of how seemingly minor disputes can escalate rapidly, particularly when alcohol and dangerous objects are involved. It also highlights the serious legal consequences associated with possessing prohibited weapons and using objects to threaten or hurt others.