Father of 3 attacked wife at SUTD canteen, leaving her with multiple fractures
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
September 24, 2025
A father of three young children has admitted to assaulting his wife in an attack which left the 38-year-old woman with multiple fractures.
Au Yong Khin Mun pleaded guilty on Sept 24 to voluntarily causing grievous hurt. Defence lawyer Raphael Louis said the 39-year-old man and his wife are currently undergoing divorce proceedings.
The incident happened on Dec 2, 2024, at a canteen located in the Singapore University of Technology and Design in Changi.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Suriya Prakash said that the couple were there at about 9am for a meal after dropping off their four-year-old twin daughters at a pre-school located nearby.
The couple, who have been married for about five years, have a two-year-old son as well.
As they chatted over breakfast, Au Yong told his wife that he wanted to use money from the sale of their condominium to pay off his credit card bills.
His wife did not agree with his plans, and said they should use the money to buy an HDB flat.
DPP Suriya said Au Yong was upset by this and attempted to slap the victim twice from across the table.
"When his slaps did not make contact... the accused walked over from his side of the canteen table to the victim's side (and hit) her five times on the head with his left hand," the prosecutor added.
Au Yong also used his right hand to strike her back four times, and continued to assault her when she tried to walk away.
While her back was turned towards him, he hit her head with a cup of iced coffee and a plate of food.
He then struck her head two more times with his left hand, kneed her twice in the back, grabbed both her upper arms and flung her to the ground.
DPP Suriya said: "(Au Yong) did not render assistance to the victim, although she was lying in pain, and instead, continued engaging in a verbal dispute with her for about (90 seconds) while bystanders assisted the victim to her feet."
The woman suffered fractures to her face, left collarbone and multiple ribs, and was warded at Changi General Hospital until Dec 7, 2024.
The prosecutor urged the court to hand down a sentence of between 24 and 26 months' jail with six strokes of the cane.
He described the attack as "especially cowardly" because Au Yong had waited for the victim to turn her back to him before he assaulted her.
He will be sentenced on Nov 6.
