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SINGAPORE: While trying to break up a fight between her father and her husband, a woman was pushed by her mother-in-law and started fighting with her.
In the ensuing fight, the woman hit, scratched and bit her mother-in-law, leaving a laceration to her eye.
Chen Xu Jia, 38, who is now divorced, was sentenced on Monday (November 2) to a week in jail for willfully causing harm to her former mother-in-law.
Her father, as well as her ex-husband and mother face separate charges in this case.
The court heard that Chen was married to Zhao Ting, 39, at the time of the crime on January 21 last year.
Chen was described by her lawyer Chung Ting Fai as “an abused wife” who was allegedly beaten by her ex-husband several times.
The night of the incident, Chen had an argument with her husband about taking care of their youngest daughter.
Chen’s father, 65, and Zhao’s mother, 67, who were in the house at the time, overheard the discussion and went to the master bedroom.
Both parents took out their phones to record the argument their children were having. Chen’s father accidentally pushed Zhao’s mother against a closet.
A fight broke out between Zhao and his father-in-law, with the younger man hitting the older man on the head, eyes, and chest, as well as biting his forearm and ear.
At some point, Zhao’s mother struck Chen’s father, who pushed her back so that she fell over and slammed her head against a table.
Chen’s mother tried to intervene, but Zhao hit her.
Chen also tried to intervene in the fight between her father and her husband, but her mother-in-law pushed her onto the bed in the master bedroom and the two women began to fight.
During the course of the fight, Chen’s mother-in-law grabbed her hair and slammed her head on the floor, while the younger woman struck the older woman in the head and eye region, scratched her eye, and bit the left arm.
An unidentified woman called the police asking them to go quickly and all members of the family were taken to hospital.
Chen’s mother-in-law was found with injuries that included bruises around the eye with multiple scratch marks and a laceration to the eye. She was protected under observation for three days. Her laceration was stitched up and she was discharged against advice.
All other members of the family also suffered injuries, such as scrapes, bruises and bite marks, while Chen had bruises on his scalp and hand.
Chen pleaded guilty to the charge, and Assistant Prosecutor Lee Wei Liang asked for at least a week in jail.
He said Chen’s mother-in-law suffered multiple injuries and had to be protected, with the blows inflicted on a vulnerable part of her body.
However, he said that he was not asking for an increased sentence, as Chen did not appear to be the one who started the fight. She also suffered injuries, she said.
AN ABUSED WIFE: DEFENSE
Defense attorney Chung Ting Fai said “this is the case of an abused wife,” adding that her client’s then-husband had beaten her several times.
“Due to the long period of harassment he is (suffering), this case unfortunately (erupted) into a very unfortunate incident that took place in which I believe several family members are facing charges,” Chung said.
Due to this incident, the couple divorced and divided custody of their children, keeping minimal contact with each other, he said.
He urged the court to ask for clemency and impose only one fine, saying that incarcerating his client would be useless in terms of rehabilitation.
The judge said she considered all the factors raised and found that the threshold of a short jail term had been crossed. He granted Chen a two-week postponement to resolve his affairs before serving his sentence.
The cases of Chen’s father, husband and mother-in-law are pending and they are expected to return to court for pre-trial conferences.
