SINGAPORE - A 49-year-old man, who relentlessly slashed his wife outside a row of restaurants in Beach Road, was sentenced to 19 years' jail and eight strokes of the cane on June 3.

Cheng Guoyuan had pleaded guilty on May 20 to a charge of attempted murder over the vicious attack which took place at about 5.30pm on April 14, 2022.

He admitted that he had intended to kill Han Hongli, 44, if she refused to confirm that she would not expose a wrongdoing that he had committed against their daughter, 23, from her previous marriage.

Cheng admitted that he was angry with his wife for refusing to forgive him for what he had done to their daughter, and he hated that Han had a hold over him.

The nature of the wrongdoing was not disclosed in court.

Han, whose left hand was almost severed during the attack, is now blind in her left eye. Her face is permanently disfigured, and the functioning of her arms is impaired.

The tip of her right ring finger was also amputated.

In sentencing, Justice Audrey Lim said Cheng's relentlessness in pursing the victim, to inflict injuries and even looking for a second cleaver to do so, aggravated his crime. 

She also noted that Cheng did not stop despite people intervening and throwing objects at him to keep him away from the victim.

However, the judge rejected the prosecution's submission for Cheng to be jailed for life.

The prosecution had sought life imprisonment and eight to 12 strokes of the cane for Cheng, while the defence had asked for a sentence of 15 years' jail and five strokes of the cane.

Videos of the horrific attack were widely shared on social media and in message groups in 2022.

Han came to Singapore to work in 2016.

Her already strained relationship with Cheng worsened after she found out in April 2021 that he had done something wrong to their daughter.

She threatened to report the matter to the Chinese police, but he pleaded with her not to do so.

Han told Cheng that she would not forgive him and that she would let everyone know what he had done.

She eventually agreed for Cheng to pay their daughter 40,000 yuan (S$7,200) as compensation.

Cheng remained fearful that Han would tell his relatives and friends about the wrongdoing, and repeatedly sought assurances from her that she would let the matter rest.

He came to Singapore on April 6, 2022, to work as a kitchen assistant at a restaurant in Veerasamy Road without telling Han.

At the time, Han was working as a manager at a steamboat restaurant in Beach Road.

On April 12, 2022, Cheng came up with a plan to hack her to death with a cleaver if she refused to confirm that she would not reveal his wrongdoing.

After two aborted attempts, Cheng went to her workplace again on April 14, 2022, armed with a wooden-handled cleaver he took from work.

Cheng started slashing her in the back lane between Liang Seah Street and Middle Road.

Han's left hand was almost severed as she tried to block the blows with her arms while screaming for help.

When the cleaver handle broke off, he pressed the blade against her neck as she lay on the ground.

Han managed to run away when Cheng was distracted by other people.

He then went into the kitchen of her workplace to grab a steel-handled cleaver before running out to look for her.

He caught up with Han after she tripped and fell near a car parked in front of a hotel, and continued slashing her.

As people threw various objects at him to fend him off, Cheng ran towards Beach Road but soon returned for the victim.

In the course of the attack, Cheng cut his own wrists and neck with the weapons.

He was eventually tasered by a police officer at Han's workplace after ignoring repeated instructions to surrender.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.