Man burned maid’s arm with heated metal spatula
After a drinking session, an intoxicated man picked up a heated metal spatula and used it to burn his domestic helper's left forearm.
Rajamanickam Suresh Kumar was drunk again the next day and pulled the woman's left wrist before pushing her into her room.
Yesterday, the 35-year-old man was sentenced to a year's jail.
After a trial, District Judge Ronald Gwee found him guilty of one count each of assaulting and using criminal force on Indian national Vadivel Gowthami.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran said in his submissions that Rajamanickam's wife was Ms Vadivel's employer. Ms Vadivel started working at Rajamanickam's Jurong West flat in April 2018.
During the trial, the court heard that Rajamanickam was drunk when he returned home on Oct 18, 2018. DPP Thiagesh said Ms Vadivel then went to the kitchen to prepare some thosai for Rajamanickam.
She placed a bowl of chutney on a dining table, then returned to the kitchen to look for the spatula that she was using to prepare the meal.
The DPP said: "She realised that the accused was next to her, holding the spatula. He used the spatula to burn her left forearm."
Rajamanickam then left the kitchen, and Ms Vadivel continued cooking before she went to bed.
The court heard he came home drunk again at around 10.30pm the next day and asked the maid for his daughter's whereabouts.
He told Ms Vadivel to bring her home after he found out the girl was at his mother-in-law's house.
The prosecutor said: "The victim refused because it was past her working hours. The accused then told the victim, 'Since MOM (the Ministry of Manpower) had informed you to sleep at 10pm, why are you still awake?', pulled her left wrist and pushed her into her room. He then closed the door."
Ms Vadivel later told her husband what had happened and he told her to return to India. She alerted the police on Oct 21, 2018.
During the trial, Rajamanickam, who was unrepresented, denied committing the offences.
DPP Thiagesh noted that he provided no other explanation.
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