SINGAPORE, July 31 — After abusing methamphetamine one morning last January, a 43-year-old man walked around various public housing blocks in Yishun while brandishing a knife.
When he realised the police were looking for him, Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Ariff abducted a 60-year-old woman and held her at knifepoint in a standoff with 10 police officers that lasted about 15 minutes.
Yesterday (July 30), Faizal pleaded guilty to four charges: One count of smoking a specified drug, one count of abduction, one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, and one count of using abusive or insulting words on a public servant.
He was sentenced to eight years and one month in jail, and six strokes of the cane.
Another four charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.
Held woman hostage to ‘shield’ himself from police
The court heard that Faizal had relapsed into abusing methamphetamine or “ice” since June 2022 and would smoke the drug about three to four times a week. His history of drug use prior to that was not disclosed in court documents.
On the morning of Jan 9 last year, Faizal smoked “ice”, then walked around Yishun public housing blocks wielding a knife with a blade measuring about 8cm in length.
He was seen by members of the public and one of them called the police at about 7.36am.
Police officers arrived at about 7.44am.
Around the same time, a 60-year-old woman was sitting at a table at the void deck of Block 108 Yishun Ring Road to wait for her nephew.
The woman noticed Faizal near her, and she stood up intending to walk towards a coffee shop located at Block 110.
At that time, Faizal had seen police officers nearby and he knew that they were searching for him.
Faizal then decided to hold the woman hostage and to use her as a “shield” so that he could escape from the police.
He approached the woman from behind and placed his left arm around her neck, while pointing the knife he was holding in his right hand at her neck.
Faizal pulled the woman in the direction that he wanted her to walk in. Afraid, the woman complied.
Police officers at the scene tried to calm Faizal down and persuade him to release the woman, but he refused to do so.
Later, more police officers arrived and managed to intervene.
Faizal was arrested near the coffee shop at Block 110 Yishun Ring Road at about 8.08am, after a standoff with 10 police officers. Police also seized the knife.
The woman sustained an abrasion on the right side of her face during the incident.
Abused police officers, tested positive for drugs
Following his arrest, two police officers led Faizal to a police car so that they could take him to the Woodlands Police Divisional Headquarters.
While in the car, Faizal verbally abused the police officers and cursed at them multiple times.
He also kneed an officer, who was sitting beside him in the backseat of the police car, in the ribs.
Later the same day, Faizal told the police that he was experiencing chest pain, and was taken to Changi General Hospital.
Two urine samples were taken from Faizal at the hospital, and sent to the Health Sciences Authority for analysis.
Both samples were later found to contain methamphetamine.
Calling Faizal’s actions “brazen” and noting that he had “abducted the victim in broad daylight, in public”, Deputy Public Prosecutors Delicia Tan and Benjamin Low sought a jail term of eight years and three months, and six strokes of the cane.
They said Faizal was not a first-time offender and that he had a “propensity to offend”. He had previously been convicted for property, violence and drug-related offences.
As an aggravating factor, the DPPs also highlighted that Faizal had gone on to verbally abuse the police officers for a “prolonged period” of almost 45 minutes.
“The offences committed are of a serious nature and the accused is a recalcitrant offender. His cavalier attitude towards the law must be met with a deterrent sentence.”
For smoking a specified drug, Faizal could have been jailed for between seven and 13 years, and given between six and 12 strokes of the cane.
For abducting a person, Faizal could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned, or faced a combination of these punishments.
For voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, Faizal could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned in circumstances where a jail term is not imposed.
For using abusive or insulting words on a public servant, Faizal could have been jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000 (RM17,187) or both. — TODAY