SINGAPORE, July 8 — After a man pushed his then-girlfriend and dragged her across the floor, he told her to withdraw the police report she had made and instead falsely claim that her injuries occurred when he was “playful with her”.
Thevanand Shivasanker, 26, also slapped and punched another girlfriend on a later occasion after being unhappy with her interaction with a male friend.
The Singaporean pleaded guilty today to four charges of voluntarily causing hurt and one charge of obstructing justice. Four other similar charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
He is out on bail of S$20,000 (RM69,805) and will return to court for sentencing on Thursday.
The victims cannot be named due to a court order protecting their identities.
The court heard that Thevanand had a turbulent relationship with his then-girlfriend, a 23-year-old woman, since they became a couple in September 2022.
On September 26, 2022, Thevanand was drinking alcohol with the victim at a void deck in Teck Whye Lane.
Early the next morning, the pair started having an argument about the man’s ex-girlfriend and he became angry.
Around this time, a member of the public lodged a police report complaining that he heard shouting from the void deck. At least five other calls from members of the public were made about the same incident.
Thevanand threw an unopened can of alcoholic beverage and his handphones on the ground. Police officers were deployed to the scene but left soon after the couple promised to lower their voices and clean the mess.
After the police officers left, the couple continued arguing. When his then-girlfriend tried to walk away, Thevanand pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her knee.
He pulled her arm and dragged her across the floor when she tried to stand up.
Later that day, she sought treatment at National University Hospital and was found to have abrasions on her chin, elbow and arm.
She also had bruises over her knee and back tenderness, and was given five days of medical leave.
Her parents took her to lodge a police report about the incident. Two days later, the woman texted Thevanand that she had lodged a police report against him.
Trying to get her to withdraw the report, Thevanand told his girlfriend that he had to support his single mother and take care of his younger siblings.
He drafted a police report that would clear his name and sent it to his then-girlfriend over WhatsApp. Taking pity on him, she agreed and lodged a report which largely followed Thevanand’s message.
The woman alleged that her parents made her lodge the earlier police report because they did not believe her when she said she was not being abused by her boyfriend.
She also claimed that the bruises were not caused by Thevanand, but she incurred the injuries when he had accidentally pushed her and when he was “playful with her”.
In this report, she asked the authorities to “drop the case” and requested that her parents not be informed about this second report.
Just a few days later on September 30, when the victim was drinking with her friends, she received a call from Thevanand asking to meet.
Afraid that he would cause trouble for her friends, she agreed to meet him. Soon after, they had another argument about their relationship.
He again refused to let her go when she tried to leave, shouting at her and pulling her hand which caused her to fall.
When the woman took her belongings and ran to the bus stop, Thevanand gave chase and pushed her, causing her to land in a bush.
Thevanand forced her to sit at a bench at the bus stop and twisted her neck to face him, biting her nose for five to six seconds and causing her nose to bleed.
She sought hospital treatment and was diagnosed with neck and buttock pain and a nose abrasion, and was given antibiotics, painkillers and seven days of medical leave.
Fought with second girlfriend, brother
In July 2023, around a month after he entered a new relationship with a 19-year-old female, Thevanand wanted her to stop communicating with one of her male friends.
He had seen a heart emoji beside the male friend’s contact number in his then-girlfriend’s phone and they got into an argument when she did not delete the contact.
The situation worsened when the girl informed Thevanand that she had already returned home, but he later found her walking up the staircase of her block. Court documents did not state why he was at the staircase.
Thevanand then slapped the girl's cheek twice at the staircase and punched her chin, causing her to sustain a bruise on her chin.
That same month, the victim had gone to the house of a male friend with other female friends, while claiming to have gone to her sister’s house.
Suspicious of her, Thevanand told her to send her live location via WhatsApp and became unhappy after she confessed.
When the girl returned home, she found Thevanand waiting at her void deck and they had an argument. He then slapped her cheek, causing her to sustain a bruise on her inner lip.
Thevanand also admitted to arguing with his brother on October 12, 2023, during which he hit his brother’s head using a bottle of beer and punched and kicked him.
He had drunk liquor and alcohol at a club and a coffee shop to celebrate his brother’s birthday and started arguing when his brother felt Thevanand had disrespected him.
During the fight, Thevanand pushed his brother against a dustbin, causing him to fall on the floor, and threw a bottle of beer at his brother.
For each charge of voluntarily causing hurt, Thevanand could be jailed for up to three years, face a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
Those who commit an offence against a victim they are in an intimate relationship with face up to twice the maximum punishment.
Whoever obstructs the course of justice can be jailed up to seven years, be fined, or receive both punishments. — TODAY
