Daniel Fock Ming Chai, 28, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail on Sept 19. - ST
SINGAPORE: Angry with his older brother for leaving dental floss on his toothbrush and turning off the Wi-Fi at home, a man used a homemade flamethrower to set fire to his sibling’s bedroom door and slashed the older man multiple times with a chopper.
Daniel Fock Ming Chai, 28, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail on Thursday (Sept 19), after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. Two charges of mischief by fire were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Fock’s 32-year-old brother suffered multiple lacerations, as well as cuts to his forearm tendon and nerves in his right thumb and fingers, which the prosecution said will likely leave permanent numbness.
The brothers had a strained relationship growing up and lived apart for more than two years after their parents divorced in 2000, Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng previously told the court.
Fock lived with his mother in a rental apartment, while his brother lived with their father and younger sister in a flat.
In March 2023, Fock moved in with his father, brother and younger sister, and trouble ensued.
In June 2023, Fock was unhappy to see that his brother had left used dental floss on his toothbrush in the common toilet.
To express his displeasure, Fock burned a soap holder in the toilet with a homemade flamethrower made of an aerosol can and a lighter.
His brother was upset when he saw the burnt soap holder and wanted to annoy Fock into leaving the flat.
He went to the bedroom and switched off the home Wi-Fi connection, which angered Fock.
Fock took the homemade flamethrower and a chopper with a 16cm-long blade and set fire to the bottom of his brother’s bedroom door.
When his brother opened the door, Fock swung the chopper at him, slashing his right hand.
The two men got into a scuffle, resulting in Fock’s brother suffering cuts to his right leg and chest.
He underwent surgery that day and was hospitalised for four days. He was also given 40 days of hospitalisation leave.
Seeking a jail term of 16 to 18 months, DPP Ng noted the victim’s extensive injuries and said: “This is essentially a case of domestic violence, where the accused committed the offence against his brother with whom he was living under the same roof.”
Fock’s defence lawyer, Sean Tan, said his client had a disturbed childhood and was subjected to regular abuse by his brother, which led to Fock being diagnosed with depression.
Tan added: “The victim was the one who abused my client. The victim was trying to agitate my client on the day of the incident. He was deliberately trying to annoy my client out of the house.”
Those convicted of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned, or any combination of such punishments. - The Straits Times/ANN
