Jail for man, 60, who slashed Myanmar maid while she slept
Alagerisamy Mohanadhas is jailed for slashing his Myanmar domestic helper with a parang while she was asleep in the pre-dawn hours of Dec 26 last year. Photo: Singapore Police Force
SINGAPORE — After drinking six bottles of beer, a 60-year-old man who held a grudge against his Myanmar domestic helper began slashing her with a parang while she was asleep in the pre-dawn hours of Dec 26 last year.
For the assault, Alagerisamy Mohanadhas got a jail term of four years and six months on Friday (Sept 2). He had pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to 28-year-old Phyu Sin Wai Aung with a dangerous weapon.
Court documents showed that some time before 6.07am that day, Alagerisamy saw the helper sleeping on the sofa in their home at Lorong 7 Toa Payoh. Thinking that she had treated his grandniece in a rough manner and caused her to suffer an injury in the past, he started getting upset.
He took a parang with a 30cm blade from his room and began to slash her right arm and face, shouting “I see the devil in you” during the attack.
The victim did not retaliate because she thought that she was dreaming about someone hitting her.
However, the commotion woke Alagerisamy’s niece, Ms T Saraswathy. When she saw what was happening, she took some photo frames and threw them at her uncle.
The slashing stopped when he dropped the parang on the floor. By that time, Ms Saraswathy’s mother and sister were out of their rooms and they took the parang away.
It was only at this point that Phyu Sin Wai Aung realised that her dream was a reality and she started shaking in fear. She was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and her medical report showed that she had multiple lacerations over the right elbow, forearm and hands.
In a psychiatric report, Alagerisamy was found to be suffering from alcohol use disorder, but he was not of unsound mind at the time of the offence. The report stated that although Alagerisamy was under the influence of alcohol, he was aware of and had full autonomy over his actions.
Urging the court to impose a five-year jail term before the sentencing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Teo Lu Jia said: “Offences against maids create deep judicial disquiet, and general deterrence must necessarily constitute an important consideration in the sentencing of perpetrators.”
Ms Teo also pointed out that Alagerisamy had used “excessive gratuitous violence” when the helper did nothing to provoke him.
“It is submitted that violence of a gratuitous or excessive nature was used in this case and with a dangerous weapon … More importantly, the offence was committed against her when she was asleep, defenceless and completely helpless,” she added.
Alagerisamy could have been sentenced to life imprisonment or jailed up to 15 years and liable to a fine or caning.
