A 37-year-old Chinese national has been sentenced to 23 months’ jail after attacking workers at a Chinatown food stall while acting under delusions linked to an undiagnosed mental disorder.
The incident occurred in March 2025 and left two men injured after the woman entered the stall armed with knives and launched an attack in front of customers and staff.
Court documents revealed that the woman believed her former husband had cheated on and drugged her, beliefs that were later found to be connected to a psychiatric condition.
Bought Two Knives Before Heading To Chinatown
The woman, identified as He Longfeng, had divorced her former husband in 2019.
Her ex-husband worked at a food factory that supplied ingredients to a cooked food stall located near People’s Park Complex in Chinatown.
On the day of the incident, after finishing work at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, she visited a shop in Bukit Panjang and purchased two knives.
According to court proceedings, she reportedly behaved unusually during the purchase, insisting on opening the packaging immediately and allegedly asking staff not to tell anyone about the purchase.
Her actions reportedly raised concerns among shop employees, who later informed management about the encounter.
Attack Left Two Workers Injured
Later that evening, He arrived at the food stall and spent some time observing the area before carrying out the attack.
She allegedly entered the stall with one of the knives and targeted a 42-year-old employee working there.
The victim suffered injuries while attempting to defend himself.
Two colleagues rushed forward to intervene and stop the attack. During the struggle, another employee sustained an injury to his hand, while a third worker was bitten.
Witnesses reported that the woman repeatedly claimed she was the ex-wife of a man connected to the business and accused him of wrongdoing.
Police officers later arrived at the scene and recovered two knives.
Victims Required Medical Treatment
The 42-year-old victim suffered multiple injuries, including cuts to his arms and a wound to his abdomen.
He underwent surgery and was given more than two weeks of medical leave to recover.
Court documents stated that he was left with permanent scarring and lingering stiffness in his hands following the incident.
A second victim required stitches for an injury sustained while attempting to stop the attack.
The quick actions of employees at the stall helped prevent the situation from escalating further in the crowded public area.
Mental Health Condition Played Significant Role
An assessment by the Institute of Mental Health found that He was suffering from schizophreniform disorder at the time of the offence.
The condition had not been diagnosed or treated before the incident occurred.
Medical experts concluded that her delusions and distorted beliefs significantly influenced her actions and impaired her judgement.
The defence highlighted her previously clean record in Singapore and her history of volunteer work, arguing that her psychiatric condition should be taken into account during sentencing.
However, prosecutors noted that the attack took place in a busy public location and resulted in injuries to innocent individuals who had no involvement in her personal disputes.
After considering both factors, the court sentenced He to 23 months’ imprisonment.