Beach Road attacker who injured wife with cleaver in 2022 pleads guilty, gets jail & caning
The attacker who slashed his wife at Beach Road in 2022 was sentenced to jail and caning on Tuesday (3 June), after pleading guilty to attempted murder two weeks ago.
Source: Singapore Road Accident on Facebook
Videos showing 49-year-old Cheng Guoyuan’s violent rampage in April 2022 went viral on social media.
He had attacked his wife — Ms Han Hongli — with a cleaver, leaving her face permanently disabled and her left eye blind.
She also nearly had her left hand severed and received reduced function in her arms. Additionally, she lost the tip of her right ring finger.
Ms Han took a year and a half to recover and suffered from suicidal thoughts.
Beach Road attacker pleads guilty to attempted murder
In court, Cheng admitted his wrongdoing and expressed alleged remorse.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Chong highlighted the severe harm caused by the attack, as well as Cheng’s high culpability in it.
Source: Shin Min Daily News via Sin Chew Daily
The prosecution argued that it fell within the worst types of attempted murder cases.
Additionally, the viral videos and media coverage amplified public disquiet.
Source: Singapore Road Accident on Facebook
As such, the prosecution requested life imprisonment and eight to 12 strokes of the cane.
However, the defence cautioned against quantifying the level of public disquiet to the severity of harm.
They also pointed to his clean record to argue that it was an isolated incident from emotional stress.
As such, Cheng’s lawyer instead sought 15 years’ jail and five strokes of the cane.
Judge sentenced to 19 years’ jail & 8 strokes of the cane
Justice Audrey Lim noted that Cheng came up with the murder plan two days prior and even drafted WeChat notes for justification.
She saw this as evidence of premeditation. Additionally, she called the attack vicious and cruel.
Cheng did not stop his attack even after his cleaver’s blade broke and went to get a new one to pursue the injured Ms Han.
However, Justice Lim disagreed with the prosecution in that Cheng’s actions did not warrant the maximum sentence.
She eventually sentenced him to 19 years’ jail and eight strokes of the cane.
Conflict sparked by defendant’s wrongdoing on his stepdaughter
Cheng and his wife are both from China. Ms Han has a 19-year-old son with Cheng as well as a 23-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
Source: Ray of Hope
The victim came to Singapore to work at a hotpot restaurant in 2016. She sent around 10,000 yuan (S$1,800) to Cheng every two months.
In April 2021, Ms Han learnt that Cheng had committed an unspecified wrongdoing against her daughter.
She threatened to call the Chinese police, and he ended up paying 40,000 yuan (S$7,182) as compensation to their daughter.
He had to borrow money to pay the sum, and Ms Han also stopped sending money back to him.
Fearing that she would still reveal the wrongdoing, Cheng secretly flew to Singapore on 6 April 2022, planning to kill her if she didn’t agree to keep quiet.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Beach Road bystanders ward attacker off by throwing objects
At 5.20pm on 14 April, Cheng went to the restaurant, shocking Ms Han with his arrival. He proceeded to pull out a cleaver from his bag.
“If I am not living well, you should not think about living,” he said before repeatedly attacking her with the weapon.
The assault nearly severed her left hand and broke the cleaver blade.
Afterwards, Ms Han managed to flee when Cheng was distracted by bystanders.
However, Cheng proceeded to grab another cleaver from a bar before tracking Ms Han down and slashing her repeatedly on the thigh and her lower body.
Bystanders managed to briefly ward him off by throwing things at him, allowing the victim to escape.
Source: Singapore Road Accident on Facebook
Police officers eventually subdued Cheng with a taser when he refused to comply with instructions.
Source: Singapore Road Accident on Facebook
Also read: Beach Road Slashing Victim Feels Grateful To Those Who Saved Her Life, Wants To Live For Her Kids
Beach Road Slashing Victim Feels Grateful To Those Who Saved Her Life, Wants To Live For Her Kids
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Road Accident on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.
