In a disturbing incident that took place at a workers’ apartment, a 37-year-old construction worker in Singapore, India national Manohar Sankar, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time, assaulted another man by biting off his earlobe during a scuffle at their workers’ apartment at Upper Serangoon Road.

On Monday (26 June) he was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment and fined S$1,000. The charges brought against him included voluntarily causing grievous hurt and using insulting language.

What happened?

The incident occurred at a workers’ apartment located along Upper Serangoon Road where both Manohar Sankar and the victim, a 47-year-old Indian national, resided in the same apartment.

On the night of May 19, 2020, Sankar consumed alcohol on the rooftop of the apartment, where the victim was also present.

At approximately 10 PM, Sankar directed insults and vulgar words towards the victim in the Tamil language, even resorting to cursing the victim’s mother.

Distressed by the verbal onslaught, the victim requested Sankar to stop his behavior. Ignoring the victim’s plea, Sankar approached him from behind while he was seated on a chair.

Sankar proceeded to bite on to the victim’s left ear, resulting in a scuffle that caused both men to fall to the ground.

The altercation left the victim with a significant injury. Sankar bit off a portion of the victim’s left earlobe, leading to substantial pain and trauma.

The victim sought medical attention the following day due to persistent pain in his left ear. The doctor diagnosed him with a “traumatic left ear laceration” resulting in the loss of a 2cm by 2cm section of his earlobe.

To address the injury, the victim underwent cleaning, dressing, trimming, and stitching of the ear laceration. While his wounds have since healed, he has been left with a permanent disfiguration of his left earlobe.

The Arena @ Keat Hong was unveiled and opened back in 2022, providing a range of sports facilities for the residents of Choa Chu Kang (CCK). However, concerns have been raised by a netizen regarding the requirement of a S$100 refundable deposit to book the futsal court, on top of the $30-$50 booking fees.

The netizen drew attention to a photo shared on Facebook, revealing the rates for booking the futsal court at The Arena @ Keat Hong.

According to the displayed sign, a refundable deposit of S$100 is mandatory per session. This deposit does not include the booking fees, which range between $30 – $50 per hour for non-peak and peak hours respectively.

The netizen questioned the ability of young children to afford such a substantial amount of money for a casual kickabout in their neighborhood. They also highlighted the contrasting situation with other sports facilities in the area, such as basketball, badminton, and volleyball, which are available to residents free of charge.

This raised concerns about the implications for the state of football in Singapore, as kids struggle to find affordable places to engage in the sport without fearing complaints.

Town Council responds

In response, the Chua Chu Kang Town Council (CCKTC) expressed that the refundable deposit serves to encourage accountability among users.

They further explained that the deposit ensures the court’s proper use, considering the potential cost of replacing features that could be damaged.

Notably, the futsal court at The Arena @ Keat Hong boasts an interactive wall for gamified play and artificial turf, which adds to its maintenance expenses. CCKTC emphasized that all deposits have been promptly and fully refunded.

Despite complaints about the fees, the town council revealed that there has been a steady increase in futsal court bookings by residents since its opening a year ago. This suggests that the cost has not deterred individuals from utilizing the facility.

Addressing the concerns raised, CCKTC announced a new initiative to make the futsal court more accessible to residents.

Starting from Saturday, 1 July, and continuing on a first-come-first-served basis, CCKTC will allow free bookings of the futsal court on Sundays from 9 am to 3 pm.

However, it is important to note that these complimentary bookings are specifically for social games and are not intended for private coaching. Residents can make bookings at CCKTC’s main office during operating hours.

The town council hopes that this move will provide more opportunities for residents to enjoy games at the futsal court while fostering sportsmanship and community bonding in the estate.

On Monday, June 26, a court found Andrew Charles Vasko guilty of causing the death of off-duty police officer Madam Salinah Mohamed.

The incident occurred on February 10, 2019, when Vasko, driving his Aston Martin, collided with Madam Salinah at a crossing in Shenton Way while making a discretionary right turn. Madam Salinah, who was 40 years old and left behind a husband and three young children, succumbed to a head injury four days later.

Vasko, an American and a permanent resident of Singapore, pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide.

The specific accusation against him was failing to keep a proper lookout while making the right turn. Vasko claimed that insufficient lighting and contrast at the scene prevented him from seeing the victim and that he was distracted by a motorcyclist overtaking on his right.

However, District Judge Shawn Ho concluded that Vasko had not observed Madam Salinah walking along the pedestrian crossing, despite the traffic lights being in her favor.

The judge also determined that Vasko had failed to keep a proper lookout and was picking up speed during the turn. He further found that there was adequate lighting and contrast and that Vasko had not been distracted by the motorcyclist.

Judge Ho stated that Vasko’s failure to keep a proper lookout was negligent and that it directly caused Madam Salinah’s death. The court did not hear submissions on the sentence, and both sides requested a later date for that purpose. Vasko will return to court for mitigation and sentencing next month.

Under the charge of causing death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide due to the failure to keep a proper lookout when turning right, Vasko could face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both.

Recap

On 10 February 2019, Vasko drank 2 glasses of white wine at about 7pm at Sentosa, with the last of his drink being consumed at 7.45pm.

He then drove his Aston Martin at 9.25pm into the far right lane of Maxwell Road that was heading towards the Straits Boulevard.

He then stopped at the stop line when the traffic light turned red at the junction of Shenton Way, and he was on the far right turning lane.

The traffic light then turned green for him and he then moved his car to the middle of the junction and waited to make a discretionary right turn.

As he was turning right, his Aston Martin then hit Salinah, who was crossing the road halfway from Vasko’s left-to-right view, and the traffic light was in her favour at the time.

She was then thrown onto the road from the impact and sustained a severe injury to her head, and was unconscious when conveyed to the hospital.

She succumbed to her injuries and died 4 days later after being declared brain dead, leaving behind her husband and 3 young children.

Vasko was reportedly driving within the speed limit and passed a breathalyser test, according to court documents.