26-6-2023 (SINGAPORE) Manohar Sankar, a construction worker from India, has been sentenced to five months in jail and fined S$1,000 (US$740) on Monday (Jun 26) after biting off another man’s earlobe while under the influence of alcohol.
Sankar, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt and using abusive words during the incident.
According to the court, Sankar and the victim, a 47-year-old Indian national, resided in a workers’ apartment on Upper Serangoon Road.
On the night of May 19, 2020, Sankar and the victim were on the rooftop of the apartment where Sankar had been consuming alcohol.
At around 10pm, Sankar began verbally abusing the victim in Tamil, using vulgarities and directing insults towards the victim’s mother.
Feeling distressed, the victim asked Sankar to stop the verbal abuse.
In response, Sankar approached the victim, who was seated on a chair, and grabbed him from behind. Sankar proceeded to bite off the victim’s left earlobe during the altercation, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
Witnesses intervened, separating the two men and providing first aid to the victim. Meanwhile, Sankar remained on the floor in his intoxicated state.
The following day, the victim sought medical attention due to persistent pain in his left ear. The doctor diagnosed him with a “traumatic left ear laceration,” which resulted in the loss of a 2cm by 2cm section of his earlobe.
The victim’s wounds were treated, cleaned, and stitched, but he now suffers from permanent disfiguration of his left earlobe, as confirmed by the prosecutor.
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or caning.
Using abusive words to cause distress carries a maximum penalty of up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
