26-year-old Manohar Thirunavukkarasu, was sentenced on 8 September to 6 months and 14 weeks imprisonment, as well as 6 strokes of the cane for a number of offences, including kicking a police officer and being in possession of an offensive weapon.
He was seen in a video armed with a 40.2cm axe which he had bought for $11, which he used for his “personal safety” because he was homeless, according to The Straits Times.
What happened?
On April 11, Manohar had consumed alcohol when he spotted a group of elderly men in the company of a woman in her 30s around Stamford Road.
Sensing that the woman appeared to be in an uncomfortable situation, he approached her and urged her to leave for her own safety.
However, the woman refused to heed his advice, leading to a confrontation. One of the elderly men, in his seventies, confronted Manohar, asking him about his intentions and pushing him.
In response to the physical provocation, Manohar’s anger boiled over. He punched and kicked the elderly man in the head, causing significant injuries, before he also slapped the woman across the face.
A Run-In with the Law
Moments later, Manohar then had an encounter with the police. Dashcam footage captured him approaching two police officers while wielding the axe at a traffic junction on Stamford Road.
The situation escalated quickly, with the officers drawing their weapons. Fortunately, Manohar threw the axe to the ground and surrendered, allowing for his arrest.
During his interaction with the police at the scene, Manohar displayed alarming behavior. He had insulted an officer with derogatory language, telling one of them ro “shut the f up” and “you relax for one second you see what happen to your face.” Despite multiple warnings, he even physically assaulted the same officer by kicking him.
Legal Consequences
The consequences of Manohar’s actions were severe. He faced a total of five charges related to the events of April 11, 2023, which were as follows:
- Using insulting words on a police officer.
- Assaulting the police officer by kicking him.
- Voluntarily causing hurt to an elderly man.
- Being in possession of an offensive weapon
- Voluntarily causing hurt to a woman.
In addition to these charges, Manohar was also charged for three other incidents:
- Trespassing into a condominium complex, Sophia Residence, along Sophia Road on February 26, 2023.
- Two charges stemming from an incident on March 4, 2023, where he sent photos of his private parts to a woman and insulting her, calling her the Tamil word for prostitute.