Man jailed for slashing son, 26, with a chopper, causing severe injury to his left forearm

SINGAPORE – A man used a chopper to slash his adult son during a dispute that was purportedly sparked by the latter opening some of his father’s letters without his consent.

Yeo Chee Tee’s attack left the 26-year-old man with wounds on his left forearm, chest, both thighs, right shoulder and left wrist.

The injury on the victim’s forearm had penetrated to the bone, resulting in multiple muscles being cut. He was given 119 days of hospitalisation leave.

Yeo, 64, was sentenced to 14 months and a week in jail on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of using a weapon to assault his son.

This is the second reported case this week involving parents attacking their own children with weapons.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Vincent Ong said Yeo and his son were living together in a Serangoon North flat at the time of the offence.

On Jan 8, 2022, Yeo told the victim’s mother that their son had purportedly opened some of his letters without consent. Court documents did not state if Yeo was married to the woman.

The son later found out that Yeo had scolded his mother over the matter. He confronted Yeo and the two men got into an argument.

DPP Ong said: “In the course of the dispute, the victim pushed the accused and restrained the accused from behind. The accused managed to break free from the victim and ran into the kitchen.”

Yeo grabbed a chopper and slashed his son, causing the multiple wounds.

The police were alerted soon after, and the son was warded at Sengkang General Hospital. He was discharged on Jan 10, 2022, and given 119 days of hospitalisation leave.

The victim was last examined on Jan 11, 2023, and has since almost regained the full range of movement in the fingers on his left hand.

DPP Ong, who asked for Yeo to be jailed for between 16 and 18 months, told the court the injury to the victim’s left arm was severe.

He added: “While the injury ultimately did not result in permanent deprivation of the victim’s left-hand functioning… this was only due to extensive surgical intervention – tendon transfer surgery – and rehabilitation.”

The son also had impaired use of his left hand from Jan 8, 2022, to Jan 11, 2023.