A 42-year-old Chinese national has been sentenced to three months’ jail after she repeatedly punched her 60-year-old Singaporean colleague during a dispute over work arrangements at a beauty salon.
The incident, which happened while both women were working at True Harmony beauty salon at City Link Mall, left the victim with a fractured nose and medical expenses of more than S$2,100.
Wang Lina pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt and was sentenced on Aug 17. She was also ordered to compensate the victim about S$2,175 for her medical costs.
Argument Started Over Customer Service Arrangement
Court documents showed that Wang was working as a beautician at the salon, while the victim was a receptionist responsible for assisting with store operations.
On Feb 11, 2026, at around 2.30pm, the two women were on duty while their supervisor was away. The victim was temporarily managing appointments and assigning beauticians to customers.
At the time, Wang was attending to a customer and had offered a free sample of massage oil as part of a promotion. As Wang was still relatively new in her role, the victim approached her to ask about the decision.
Wang explained that she was trying to promote the product, and the victim eventually allowed her to continue.
Shortly afterwards, another customer arrived and requested Wang’s services. However, because Wang was still engaged in promoting the massage oil, the victim assigned another beautician to handle the customer.
Wang disagreed with the arrangement and argued that the victim should have helped take over the product promotion so she could serve the customer instead.
The disagreement escalated, with both women arguing inside the salon. Wang was also accused of using vulgar language during the confrontation.
Colleague Stepped In After Fight Turned Physical
The argument continued as both women moved towards the back of the salon.
At about 2.39pm, the dispute became physical when Wang punched the victim’s face several times.
Another female colleague heard the commotion and went to check on the situation. She saw the victim raising her hands to protect herself from the blows and stepped in to separate the pair.
The victim’s nose began bleeding after the attack, and she appeared unsteady on her feet. Police were subsequently called to the salon.
She later sought medical treatment at a hospital, where a CT scan revealed a comminuted nasal bone fracture, meaning the bone had broken into multiple pieces.
The victim was given five days of medical leave and incurred medical bills amounting to S$2,174.98.
Prosecution Says Attack Was Unprovoked And Persistent
The prosecution sought a jail term of between three and three-and-a-half months, arguing that Wang had started the confrontation by directing vulgarities at the victim before the assault.
They said the victim did not fight back during the attack and had only attempted to shield herself from the punches. The prosecution also highlighted that there was no indication Wang would have stopped the assault on her own.
Wang’s lawyers argued that the witness had only seen part of the incident and not how the altercation began. They said Wang acted in the heat of the moment due to stress and claimed she did not intend to cause a serious injury.
Her lawyers had sought a reduction of the charge, but the court proceeded with sentencing after she pleaded guilty.
The case serves as a reminder that workplace disputes can quickly escalate, and physical violence can result in serious criminal consequences including imprisonment.