A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to eight weeks’ jail after assaulting a stranger whom he mistakenly believed was behaving suspiciously towards his intoxicated wife outside Bugis+.
The attack left the 34-year-old victim with a fractured nose after he was allegedly headbutted in the face during the confrontation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Feb. 18, 2025, after both the accused and his wife had been drinking separately before meeting outside the shopping mall.
Wife Called Husband After Drinking Session
Court proceedings heard that the accused’s 41-year-old wife had gone to Bugis+ with two friends at around 5pm on Feb. 17 for dinner and drinks.
As the evening progressed, she became heavily intoxicated and phoned her husband, asking him to collect her and bring her home safely.
Although the husband was also consuming alcohol with his own friends at the time, he recognised from the phone call that his wife was drunk and decided to head to Bugis+ to fetch her.
Stranger Tried To Help Drunk Woman
At about 12.24am, the victim arrived in the Bugis area to pick up his girlfriend.
After noticing the woman appeared unsteady on her feet, the victim’s girlfriend suggested that they offer her a lift home.
The victim then reached out to support the intoxicated woman to prevent her from falling.
Unfortunately, the husband arrived just as he was assisting her and misunderstood what he was witnessing.
Husband Became Aggressive During Confrontation
Believing something inappropriate was taking place, the husband confronted the victim and questioned his intentions.
The victim immediately explained that he was only trying to help and intended to send the woman home safely.
However, the explanation failed to calm the situation.
The husband allegedly shoved the victim against a nearby wall before suddenly headbutting him in the face.
Victim Suffered Broken Nose
Following the assault, the victim contacted the police before seeking medical treatment at Singapore General Hospital.
Doctors found that he had suffered a one-centimetre cut to his nose as well as a fractured nasal bone. He was subsequently issued four days of medical leave.
The husband later paid S$207 in compensation to cover the victim’s medical expenses.
After pleading guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt, he was sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment by the court.
The case serves as a reminder that misunderstandings, particularly when alcohol is involved, can quickly escalate into serious acts of violence with lasting legal consequences.