Security officer jailed, ordered to pay $18,600 to colleague he punched, causing brain injury
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
July 23, 2025
A security officer punched his colleague's face after a quarrel, causing the victim to fall backwards and hit his head on the floor.
The 52-year-old man became unconscious and was taken to hospital, where he was found to have a traumatic brain injury.
He also had to undergo rehabilitation with a physiotherapist and speech therapist following the attack.
On July 22, his assailant, Mohd Razali Mohamed Sarip, 44, pleaded guilty to an assault charge and was sentenced to seven months' jail.
Razali was also ordered to pay a compensation of nearly $18,600 to the victim and will have to spend an additional 18 days behind bars if he fails to do so.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sivaranjini Pillai Eliathamby said that before the attack, the victim, who was then employed as a senior security officer, was deployed to work at Lucky Plaza shopping centre in Orchard Road on June 15, 2024.
Razali was also deployed there. The two men engaged with each other over work-related checks, before they got into a verbal dispute.
Razali then challenged the victim to a fight, but the older man rejected the suggestion.
The two men left work at around 8pm and Razali saw the victim, who was referred to in court documents as V1, walking towards a bus stop near Tangs Plaza.
The DPP said: "(Razali), still harbouring resentment against V1... trailed after V1 and kicked V1's leg from behind. V1 turned around as he lost balance from the kick.
"(Razali) administered a forceful punch to V1's face. The impact of the punch caused V1 to reel and fall backwards, hitting the back of his head against the concrete floor... (and he lost consciousness)."
Razali waited for the victim to regain consciousness, walked him to the bus stop and left.
At the bus stop, the victim fell unconscious again. A nearby motorcyclist saw him lying face down and alerted the authorities.
The victim was taken to hospital and was later given 65 days of hospitalisation leave.
Razali's bail was set at $10,000 on July 22, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Aug 5.
