SINGAPORE: Over the course of multiple months, a man prevented his father from entering his home at night, forcing him to sleep at the void deck even though the senior citizen owned the Housing Board flat.
Bennie Lee Wei Ming also confiscated the 74-year-old man’s mobile phone to prevent him from contacting others and assaulted the victim on two separate occasions in February.
The 40-year-old offender was sentenced to 13 weeks’ jail on Wednesday (April 22) after he pleaded guilty to two assault charges.
Two other charges, including one count of using criminal force on his mother, were considered during his sentencing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Law Yan An told the court that Lee had prevented his father from coming home at night for about six months prior to the offences.
The DPP added: “The accused would sometimes allow the victim to enter the unit to sleep, but only after requiring him to purchase breakfast for the accused.
“During this same period, the victim’s wife (who is the accused’s mother) had also been forced to leave the unit and was residing with the accused’s sister.”
Court documents stated that due to space constraints, Lee’s sibling could not accommodate both parents.
Lee had barred his father from entering the Buangkok Crescent flat on Feb 21, and the latter had to sleep at the void deck.
The father tried to go home at around 5am the next day and got into a dispute with Lee.
This was because the elderly man had refused to buy some testosterone patches for Lee, who felt that he needed them for his own perceived “testosterone deficiency”.
Lee then kicked his father’s right leg three times and punched the latter’s arm twice.
The offender continued to prevent his father from entering the flat later that day, and the senior citizen had to sleep at the void deck again.
The victim tried to return to the unit at around 5am on Feb 23, the court heard.
DPP Law said: “The accused again demanded that the victim purchase testosterone patches for him and threatened that ‘this story won’t end’ if his demands were not met.
“The accused also made threats to burn down the unit. The victim argued back, leading to a dispute between them.”
Lee then punched his father in the face – twice over the left eye – causing him to get dizzy.
The victim did not seek medical treatment, said the prosecutor.
Court documents did not disclose what happened next, but Lee was arrested later that day.
He was charged in court two days later and had been in remand since. - The Straits Times/ANN
