A woman admitted to being hot-tempered was admonished in court for brandishing a knife during an argument with her husband while her young children were in the same flat. Lu Ut Em, 33, was sentenced to three months’ jail and a fine of $2,000 after pleading guilty to charges of criminal intimidation and harassment.
According to Straits Times, the incident, which took place on December 2, 2023, was captured on cameras installed in the couple’s Teck Whye flat.
During the six-minute argument, Lu was seen swinging a kitchen knife wildly at her husband, Khwang Kai Ping, while their children, aged three and five, were present.
The judge expressed concern over the psychological impact such behavior could have on the young children. This was not an isolated incident, as a similar case of harassment occurred in February 2024.
“It was shocking to see young children walking around while you were brandishing a knife. You don’t know the kind of effect psychologically it will have on them, to witness such acts at home,” said the judge according to the report.
Through a translator in Vietnamese, Lu confessed to having a hot temper and acknowledged that her children were frightened during the incident.
On March 14, Lu was sentenced to three months in jail and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine after admitting to charges of criminal intimidation and harassment. As part of her sentence, the judge arranged for a court counsellor to help Lu manage and control her anger, as well as explore counselling options for the couple.
The footage showed Lu’s mother-in-law attempting to calm her down, but Lu continued to wave the knife and even directed it towards her brother-in-law. The argument ended when Lu’s husband left the flat and her brother-in-law called the police.
As per the report, on that day, Lu’s mother-in-law made multiple attempts to calm the younger woman down, but Lu continued brandishing the knife at her husband and even uttered the word “bleeding” in Mandarin without knowing why she said it.
During the dispute in the living room, the couple’s two children witnessed the intense argument unfold. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim revealed that the argument stemmed from personal matters that Lu was unhappy about.
District Judge Eddy Tham noted that conflicts are part and parcel of family & said “we are not saying you cannot be angry. We are saying you should control yourself after being angry”.
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