And ouch! 18 strokes of the cane.
AWOL National Serviceman Dave Teo Ming told an army buddy, a pimp, that he had taken the rifle and bullets from camp to kill his ex-girlfriend. The 20-year-old also said he was going to use it in a robbery. Then, he told his platoon leader that he was going to use the rifle to kill five people who he hated.
'Fortunately, nothing disastrous occurred but a deterrent sentence was necessary to deter like-minded offenders,' said Deputy Public Prosceutor Peter Koy in the High Court on Monday.
Teo was jailed a total of nine years and two months and ordered to be caned 18 times. Teo had pleaded guilty to having the rifle and eight bullets with him in a public toilet in Cathay CineLeisure at 8pm on Sept 3 last year. He also admitted to carrying a 40cm-long knife on April 14 last year near his ex-girlfriend's home. In mitigation, his lawyer, Mr K. Mathialahan, asked the court to send Teo for reformative training in view of Teo's age and mental condition. The lawyer said that Teo was suffering from depression after his girlfriend of four years broke up with him in April last year.
'He was under a lot of emotional pressure and was very confused,' said Mr Mathialahan.
Teo told his lawyer and a psychiatrist that he had no intentions of killing his girlfriend but wanted to use the rifle to threaten her to make up with him. Arguing that the court should give more weight to what Teo had said before his arrest, DPP Koy pointed out that people will say all sorts of things to earn leniency after they are caught.
Dave Teo was obviously mentally disturbed at the time of his offence. Not surprising! He was serving his country and his girlfriend dumped him for another girl! He needed support from the army but it wasn't forthcoming.
ReplyDeleteWhat the lad did was wrong but we shouldn't forget how young he was at the time. Dave wasn't much more than a high school student so a good caning would probably the right punishment.But what's the point in jailing him as well?
He's officially still in the army so let the army punish him. They're used to caning young servicemen who misbehave. It's become a standard punishment over the last few years,so let them cane Dave.They've got the experience and the equipment they need. Canes and caning trestles are in use at most military bases. They obviously find caning an effective deterrent or it wouldn't be used so often.
Eighteen sharp strokes of the cane, given in front of his comrades, would be the best way of dealing with a young kid like Dave Teo. It would also show his fellow servicemen what would happen if they pulled the same stupid trick.
Make an example of him, if that's what you want. Cane him but then let the guy get on with the rest of his life.