Singapore – 3 June 2025
Cheng Guoyuan, the man who launched a vicious cleaver attack on his wife in 2022 at Beach Road, was sentenced today to 19 years’ jail and eight strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to attempted murder.
⚖️ Premeditated and Brutal
Justice Audrey Lim called the assault “vicious and cruel,” pointing to evidence that Cheng had planned the murder two days in advance, even drafting messages on WeChat to justify his actions.
Despite the blade of the first cleaver breaking, Cheng retrieved a second weapon from a bar and continued his relentless pursuit of his injured wife. She sustained life-changing injuries:
- Blind in her left eye
- Nearly severed her left hand
- Permanent facial disfigurement
- Suicidal thoughts during recovery
📹 Attack Went Viral, Bystanders Fought Back
Footage of the horrifying scene shows bystanders risking their lives, throwing chairs, bins, and signs to stop the rampage. Their heroic actions gave the victim, 41-year-old Han Hongli, a chance to escape.
Cheng was later subdued by police officers using a taser after refusing to drop the weapon.
👨👩👧 Family Conflict Turned Deadly
Cheng and Han, both from China, shared a son and lived apart. Tensions escalated after Han discovered that Cheng had committed a serious wrongdoing against her daughter from a previous marriage in 2021.
After paying compensation and no longer receiving financial support from Han, Cheng flew to Singapore on 6 April 2022 with a dark plan:
“If I am not living well, you should not think about living,” he told her before the attack.
📌 Key Points to Know:
- 🪓 Cheng attacked his wife with two cleavers, showing premeditation.
- 🙌 Bystanders helped stop the attack, saving her life.
- 🏥 The victim underwent 18 months of recovery, still lives with trauma.
💬 Judge’s Final Words
Justice Lim acknowledged the severe psychological and physical damage to Ms Han but stopped short of giving the maximum sentence. She ruled that while the attack was premeditated and heinous, it didn’t meet the threshold for life imprisonment.