Doctor gets jail, caning and fine for assaulting girlfriend

A doctor who was convicted in March of attacking his then girlfriend, causing multiple facial fractures, pleaded guilty in court yesterday to two more assault charges involving the woman.

Clarence Teo Shun Jie was sentenced to three years, six months and two weeks' jail with four strokes of the cane.

He was also fined $4,000.

On March 9 after a trial, District Judge Toh Han Li found Teo, 35, guilty of one count each of causing grievous hurt to Ms Rachel Lim En Hui in his Redhill flat in August 2017 and wrongfully confining her.

Yesterday, Teo admitted he assaulted Ms Lim on two separate occasions in March that year.

An online search reveals he is still a medical practitioner. Teo had told the court during the trial that he worked as a locum - or stand-in doctor - at clinics.

The court heard that Teo was "drunk... happy and tipsy" when Ms Lim, 27, who worked in the communications industry, met him at his flat on March 12, 2017.

The pair were in his bedroom later that day when he suddenly brought up her past relationships and yelled at her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor April Phang said: "When she asked him what was wrong, he punched her on the face before calming down."

She left the flat soon after.

He contacted her the next day to apologise and said he had anger management issues. He promised not to act in such a manner again and she accepted his apology.

But Teo broke his promise on March 30, 2017, after Ms Lim told him she wanted to break up with him.

She was on her way to work around 8am that day when she ran into him near her flat.

Teo grabbed her left hand and dragged her into his car. A struggle ensued and he struck her several times.

He also punched her face when she tried to sound the horn to attract the attention of passers-by.

Teo then drove home with Ms Lim in the passenger seat. The pair went to his bedroom and he locked the door before punching her face again. After that, he poured apple juice all over her and turned on an air-conditioner.

Teo refused to let Ms Lim leave even though she told him she needed to obtain a medical certificate to excuse her absence from work that day.

He eventually relented after listening to her multiple pleas.

During the trial, the court heard that Teo attacked her again later that year.

LOCKED HER IN

Ms Lim had testified that she went out with him for a night of merrymaking on Aug 26, 2017, and returned to his home in the wee hours the next day.

The court heard that he "became enraged and turned aggressive" when she expressed reluctance to have sexual intercourse with him.

When she tried to leave his bedroom to escape from him, he pursued her, forced her back into the room and locked the door, the court heard. He then assaulted her.

Teo's father, who lived in the flat, alerted the police at 4.12am.

Officers arrested Teo, and Ms Lim was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where she was warded for 21 days.