SINGAPORE: A man set his childhood friend on fire and fled Singapore for five years.
Donovan Doran Chung Yi Peng, who was caught in Thailand, was arrested when he returned and released on bail.
But while out on bail, he attacked his then girlfriend, believing she had been unfaithful.
Chung, 36, was sentenced to 12 months’ jail on Friday (Aug 14) after pleading guilty to three charges for causing hurt.
Another four charges for causing hurt, harassment and criminal intimidation were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court also ordered Chung to pay his ex-girlfriend compensation of S$785.35, or be jailed an additional two days.
The court heard that Chung had a disagreement with his childhood friend, who was a carpenter working at a workshop in Eunos.
Details of the disagreement were not mentioned in court documents.
At 1.40am on Aug 24, 2019, Chung and two others, including his friend Toh Wei Tiong, 44, went to the workshop.
Using lighters and cans of sealer spray found there, Chung and Toh set fire to the carpenter and the workshop.
The carpenter ran out of the workshop and fell to the ground. The third man with Chung and Toh then used a cloth to put out the fire on the victim’s pants.
Chung scolded the victim about their earlier disagreement and left shortly after.
As the trio left the industrial estate, the carpenter got up and hobbled back to the workshop, which was still on fire.
Members of the public from another unit noticed the smoke, called the Singapore Civil Defence Force and helped put out the fire.
The carpenter was taken to hospital with burns on 11 per cent of his body surface area.
He required skin grafting and at least three surgeries, though he did not go through with one of them.
Hours after the attack, Chung and Toh fled Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint.
A police gazette was issued against Chung, who managed to evade getting caught for five years before finally being detained by Thai police and sent back here on Aug 28, 2024.
He was arrested upon arrival and released on bail the next day.
Toh, who was arrested when he returned in May 2025, has been dealt with.
In August 2025, Chung entered into a relationship with a woman he was acquainted with in secondary school.
She would occasionally stay over at his home.
On Sept 24, 2025, the then 35-year-old woman was in Chung’s room, having just returned from a trip to China.
Chung suspected she may have been unfaithful and asked to see her phone.
When she refused, he pulled her by the arm and punched her face multiple times.
As she lay on the floor in a cradled position, Chung used a pair of scissors to stab her thigh.
She screamed, alerting Chung’s domestic helper, who then informed his mother. The latter called Chung to ask what was happening.
The girlfriend later left the home and sought medical attention, getting stitches for the stab wound. She was given three days of medical leave.
Despite the incident, the couple continued to see each other.
On the night of Oct 12, 2025, the couple were having dim sum when they began to argue.
Court documents do not specify what the argument was about.
They eventually went into Chung’s car, where he punched his girlfriend in the face multiple times.
He also took out a knife, alarming her.
They returned to Chung’s home at about 12.30am on Oct, 13, 2025.
They continued arguing in his room, where he again punched her face multiple times.
She cried for help and Chung’s father came in, telling both of them to talk things out before leaving.
Chung then took out an 80cm metal rod, threatening to hit her, but put it down after she pleaded with him.
The woman later sought medical attention and was found with multiple injuries, including bruises, cuts and abrasions on her head, legs and fingers.
The relationship did not last. Chung’s lawyer Devlin Mohyong from Invictus Law said they were in a relationship for about a month.
In mitigation, he said Chung is now engaged and in a stable relationship with another woman. The couple are expecting their first child in October.
Mohyong said the impending birth of the child has given Chung a renewed sense of responsibility, and he is now determined to remain on the straight and narrow.
For voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, Chung could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined and caned. - The Straits Times/ANN
