Muhammad Rahmat Abu Bakar, 22-years-old, pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to Indarjeet Singh Gopal Singh, 58-years-old.
He was sentenced on 22 November to 6 years imprisonment and 6 strokes of the cane.
He was previously sentenced to a year of informative training for loan shark-related offences as well as drug consumption.
He had attacked Singh inside prison while he was being remanded, along with another accomplice, Noor Awwalludeen Jamil, 19-years-old.
Jamil was earlier sentenced to 9.5 years imprisonment and 11 strokes of the cane.
As a result, the victim suffered a fractured skull.
What happened?
The incident happened on 17 September last year.
The two assailants were earlier remanded at Changi Prison Complex while waiting for their informative training suitability reports.
Singh was unhappy with the group of inmates which included the two assailants because they were generating too much noise in the cells at night.
He approached them to ask them to quieten down but without success so he shouted and scolded them from his own cell whenever the group made noise.
The inmates then made more noise in an attempt to taunt Singh, shouting insults at him.
Singh then wrote a note to the group, insulting their mothers as well as themselves.
The group blamed him for having their prison privileges taken away, assuming that he had complained about them to the prison officers.
The two assailants, along with some others from the group, challenged Singh to a fight, to which the victim agreed but didn’t show up, twice.
He had appeared to be reluctant to engage in the fight.
Rained blows on his head
The two youths and Singh were in a medical centre waiting room waiting for their medical reviews.
They then attacked Singh, punching and kicking his upper body as well as his head.
The assault went on for about 20 seconds before prison officers broke it up.
Singh was unconscious when he was conveyed to Changi General Hospital, and he was assessed to have suffered severe head injuries.
He suffered fractures to his skull, face and upper right rib – spending almost a month in the ICU and hospitalised until 19 November.
Singh also suffered from cognitive impairment post-traumatic brain injury.
He also faces the possibility of having a part of his skull removed surgically to ease the pressure on his brain.
In contact with his family
The Singapore Prison Service said that they are in contact with the victim’s family and are updating them regularly on his medical condition.
They added that they are committed to the safe and secure custody of inmates, which are of the utmost importance.
Inmates who commit serious offences whilst in prison custody will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
Images source: Google Maps
