Jail for man who attacked mum with broomstick and shoe over faulty drawer, later assaulted wife

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
Nov 8, 2022

A man got into an argument with his 67-year-old mother over a faulty drawer and assaulted the woman, who had to be hospitalised for 20 days after the attack.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur said that Mahgandran Narahjah, now 44, pushed his mother before using a broomstick to hit her arms on June 9, 2021.

The DPP added: “After the victim got up, the accused kicked the victim’s stomach once, causing her to fall to the ground again.

“The victim got up… and (his girlfriend) tried to separate the parties by escorting the victim out of the unit. The accused, however, trailed the victim and hit the victim’s left arm multiple times with his shoe that was kept at the corridor area.”

Mahgandran married his girlfriend in June 2022, and assaulted his 38-year-old wife two months later.

On Tuesday, he was sentenced to a year and a week’s jail after pleading guilty to charges that include two counts of assault involving both his mother and his wife.

This is the second reported case in recent days involving an offender who assaulted his mother.

On Nov 2, Kiong Boon Wee, 26, was jailed for seven months and five weeks after he admitted to assaulting both his parents, among other offences.

In the current case, Mahgandran had gone drinking on June 9, 2021, before he returned home with his girlfriend to the Bukit Batok flat they shared with his mother, said DPP Kaur.

He later argued with his mother before attacking her, leaving bruises on her head and limbs.

A neighbour alerted the police, and officers arrested Mahgandran.

His mother was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), where she was warded for 20 days.

Mahgandran was released on a personal bond on June 11, 2021, and in June 2022, he married his girlfriend.

On Aug 16 at 8pm, his wife saw him punching their pet dog in the face. When she tried to stop him, he began assaulting her.

DPP Kaur said: “He pushed the victim into the toilet, grabbed the victim’s head and hit it against the wall. The victim then grabbed the accused’s mobile phone and called the police for assistance.”

Mahgandran’s wife managed to push him out of the toilet and locked the door. He began banging on the door.

When she opened it, he pushed her, and she fell to the ground. Mahgandran then grabbed her by the neck, slapped her and used his phone to hit her in the mouth.

Police officers arrived at the unit soon after and separated the pair.

Mahgandran’s wife was taken to NTFGH, where she was treated for injuries, including a mild abrasion on her lower lip.