Tanglin Halt hawker uses pole to attack rival, fractures his skull

SINGAPORE — A fish soup stall owner used a wooden pole to attack a rival hawker who sold a similar dish at the same food centre, causing fractures to the victim's skull and right wrist as well bleeding in his brain.

Peck Chuan Ann, 70, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Sept 19) to voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Punnataro Wee, 51, who received 75 days of hospitalisation leave.

The prosecution said that Wee is likely to suffer from a permanent impairment of his right wrist.

At the time of the offence, Peck owned a fish soup stall at Tanglin Halt Food Centre in Commonwealth Drive, while Wee ran another stall selling a similar product at the eatery.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Louis Ngia said that Peck saw the younger man as his rival and the pair had earlier disagreements.

On April 8, 2022, at around 7am, Wee walked past Peck at the food centre and said something that the prosecutor did not disclose.

About 10 minutes later, as Wee was preparing to open his stall for business, Peck approached him from behind and used a wooden pole around 70cm long, which had a protruding nail, to repeatedly strike his head.

DPP Ngia said: "The victim's wife, who was assisting to prepare for the stall's opening... tried to stop the accused. The accused attempted to strike her with the wooden pole as well, but she managed to grab hold of the pole.

"Eventually, the victim and his wife managed to disarm the accused. After a scuffle, the accused ran away."

The police were alerted shortly before 7.15am that day and Wee was rushed to the National University Hospital.

Peck later surrendered himself at a police station, upon his daughter's advice.

On Tuesday, the DPP asked for him to be given between 18 and 22 months' jail, adding: "The fracture to (Wee's) skull, an extremely vulnerable part of the body, was accompanied by a bleeding of his brain. This was without doubt a very serious injury."

Defence lawyer Sarbrinder Singh from Sanders Law pleaded for Peck to be sentenced to between nine months and a year in jail.

Mr Singh said that his client was suffering from adjustment disorder with depressed mode at the time of the attack and is no longer operating his stall.

The lawyer also said that Wee had provoked Peck prior to the offence.

Peck is expected to be sentenced on Oct 5.

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