Elderly man jailed for hitting wife with bamboo pole after argument over beer promoter

SINGAPORE: A 77-year-old man was jailed for six weeks on Thursday (Sep 19) for striking his wife with a bamboo pole, causing fractures, after an argument with her over a beer promoter.
Low Poh Puay, also known as Edward, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a person he was in an intimate relationship with.
The court heard that Low, a dishwasher, returned home after drinking at about 11.10pm on Nov 10 last year.
He began arguing with his wife, 66, because she suspected him of chatting with a female beer promoter at the coffee shop.
Unhappy at his wife, Low took a mop and used the wooden pole to hit her head.
His wife was angered and retaliated by hitting Low’s hands with a bamboo pole meant for laundry.
In response, Low used a bamboo pole to hit his wife several times on the head, drawing blood.
When Low spotted the blood, he ceased his attack and called the police. The couple’s son returned home and called for an ambulance.
Police arrived at the unit and arrested Low.
Low’s wife was hospitalised for eight days. She suffered a fracture of her nasal bone and her left thumb.
She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was likely symptomatic for a chronic duration and possibly under-treated.
She was found to be medically stable on Nov 18, 2023, and was transferred to the Institute of Mental Health.
The prosecution called for six weeks’ jail, noting the aggravating factors of Low’s intoxication and the use of an object to assault his wife.
However, the prosecutor said there were also signs that Low suffered from caregiver stress in caring from the victim, who had schizophrenia.
Their son is also mentally ill, said the prosecutor, adding that he took into account Low’s advanced age.
Low was unrepresented. He accepted what he had done but complained to the judge that his wife tends to say negative things to him.
For voluntarily causing hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
If the offender is in an intimate relationship with the victim, the court can impose up to double the maximum punishment.