Man who slashed wife in Beach Road unfit for caning, no extra jail time given
Selina Lum
The Straits Times
Nov 5, 2025
Cheng Guoyuan, who was sentenced to 19 years' jail and eight strokes of the cane in June for viciously slashing his wife outside a row of restaurants in Beach Road, has been spared caning.
In a brief hearing on Nov 5, the prosecution told the High Court that Cheng, who had pleaded guilty in May to a charge of attempted murder, was medically certified on Sept 9 to be permanently unfit for caning.
Details of Cheng's medical issues were not disclosed. He turned 50 on Sept 23.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Koh Yi Wen said that after considering the circumstances, the prosecution will not be asking for an additional imprisonment term in lieu of caning.
Justice Audrey Lim remitted the caning sentence and did not impose any additional jail time.
Under the law, caning can be carried out only on male offenders below the age of 50 who are certified medically fit to undergo the punishment.
When a prisoner is found medically unfit to be caned, the court may remit the sentence of caning or impose an additional jail term of up to a year.
In 2017, the High Court ruled that extra jail time is not a must for those found unfit for caning.
In 2020, 29-year-old Chew Teng Wee, who was sentenced to 14 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for robbing and raping a sex worker at knifepoint, was spared caning because of his heart condition.
He was given an additional nine months in jail.
In April 2024, a 44-year-old man who was sentenced to 34½ years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for abusing his two children, resulting in the death of his five-year-old daughter, was ordered to serve six more months' jail in lieu of caning.
His sentence was later increased to life imprisonment after he failed in his appeal for a reduced jail term.
In September 2024, a man who held a 60-year-old woman at knifepoint in Yishun was found unfit for caning.
No additional jail term was given to Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Ariff, 43, who was sentenced to eight years and a month's jail with caning for drug consumption, harassment, abduction and assaulting a police officer.
In the current case, Cheng had attacked his wife on April 14, 2022.
He admitted that he had intended to kill Ms Han Hongli, 44, if she refused to confirm that she would not expose wrongdoing that he had committed against their daughter, 23, from her previous marriage.
Cheng was angry with his wife for refusing to forgive him for what he had done to their daughter, and he hated that Ms Han had a hold over him.
Videos of the horrific attack were widely shared on social media and in message groups.
Cheng had repeatedly slashed Ms Han with a cleaver until the blade broke off from the handle.
After Ms Han managed to run away, Cheng did not give up but went to look for her to renew his attack with another cleaver he found.
Despite passers-by shouting and throwing objects at him, Cheng did not stop his attack.
Ms Han, whose left hand was almost severed during the attack, is now blind in her left eye. Her face is permanently disfigured, and she has impaired function of her arms.
The tip of her right ring finger was amputated.
