Man arrested 3 times in 6 days after threatening to cut off son's legs, lunging at him with ice pick
Ethel Tseng
TNP
Aug 11, 2025
A 65-year-old man has been jailed after repeatedly threatening his son, at one point charging at him with an ice pick.
Chen Qiang Zhen (transliterated), who even threatened to cut off his son's legs, was subsequently arrested three times within a span of six days.
On Aug 7, Chen was sentenced to nine weeks in jail after pleading guilty to three of seven charges that included criminal intimidation, harassment, and breaching personal protection orders.
The remaining four charges were taken into consideration during sentencing, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Arrested after charging at son with ice pick
The court heard that the conflict began on June 6 when Chen and his son got into a heated argument at the family home. The dispute escalated after Chen pushed his son's ex-girlfriend, causing the younger man to intervene.
Chen then grabbed an ice pick and lunged at his son, who managed to block the attack with a broom. His son was unharmed but immediately called the police, leading to Chen's first arrest.
Fearing for their safety, Chen's wife and son applied for a 14-day Emergency Order against him that same day.
Threatening son leads to second arrest
The next day, after being released on bail, Chen returned home and threatened his son again.
He challenged his son to a fight in Tampines, saying he would bring his friends to attack him. His son called the police, and Chen was arrested for a second time.
On June 9, after being charged and released on bail again, Chen's wife and son renewed the Emergency Order, which barred Chen from committing family violence and from returning home.
Third arrest after harassing family
Despite the new order, Chen went back to the family home. He got into another argument, this time with his wife, and threatened to make his son a cripple by cutting off his legs.
Chen returned the following afternoon and loitered in the corridor. His son, who was home, called the police again.
Before the police arrived, Chen asked for some money from his wife and left.
That evening, Chen returned again and spoke to his wife at the doorway, threatening their son again and warning that he should be careful.
His son, who heard the threats from his room, called the police, leading to Chen's third arrest.
The older man was charged a second time on June 13 and has been remanded ever since.
Defendant sentenced to nine weeks in jail
The prosecution told the court that Chen's family had repeatedly sought protection orders out of fear that he would physically harm them. They requested a sentence of nine to 11 weeks, citing Chen's repeated breaches of his bail conditions.
In his plea, Chen asked for forgiveness, stating that he was old, and that he would not repeat his actions against his wife and son. He pleaded for a lighter sentence so he could return to work.
When the judge asked about the root cause of the father-son conflict, Chen claimed his son was disrespectful and had physically assaulted him twice, once causing a head injury that required three stitches.
Before being led away, Chen asked the judge if he would be allowed to return home after his release, saying that he was only on bad terms with his son and not his wife.
