A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years and six months in jail, 12 strokes of the cane, and a $1,000 fine after robbing a woman on an overhead bridge and injuring her with a razor blade.
Shamsher Singh pleaded guilty to three of four charges: attempted robbery, voluntarily causing harm, and theft. The judge at the State Courts considered the remaining charge when delivering the sentence on March 4, 2025.
Singh was a student who could not work due to visa restrictions and was homeless at the time of the attack. His victim was a 64-year-old supermarket employee.
On November 10, 2022, the victim was heading home after work. She took an elevator to an overhead bridge at Mountbatten Road because she had weak legs. Singh saw her enter the elevator and prepared a razor, hiding the blade between his fingers.
When the woman reached the middle of the bridge, Singh grabbed her from behind while wearing a hoodie. He covered her mouth with his left hand. As she fought back, Singh cut her neck with the razor.
The victim turned to face Singh, who repeatedly shouted “Money, money!” in English. Before she could take out cash, Singh had already slashed her arms multiple times.
During the struggle, the victim pulled down Singh’s hood. He quickly pulled it back up to hide his face. The victim shouted “robbery” to attract attention. When Singh tried to cover her mouth, she bit him.
Singh bit the victim on the wrist, dropped the razor, and ran away through Mountbatten Plaza toward the MRT station. The victim called police, who found her bleeding heavily. She was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and received 30 days of hospitalization leave.
Singh was arrested around 2:20 AM the next day at East Coast Park.
When the case went to trial on September 10, 2024, Singh denied the attempted robbery. He claimed he bumped into the victim’s hand and apologized, but she used racial slurs and attacked him. Singh said he only used the razor in self-defense.
CCTV footage contradicted his story, showing they never met face-to-face. The prosecution noted Singh fabricated a story to avoid punishment.
In a separate incident in September 2022, Singh assaulted two people during an argument at Buffalo Road in Little India. He repeatedly hit them with a dustpan. A 17-year-old victim suffered a fractured wrist and other injuries.
Less than a month later, Singh stole his female roommate’s smartwatch from under her pillow. He used a photo of himself wearing it as his social media profile picture. When confronted, he promised to return it but never did.
Singh’s lawyer asked for leniency, saying he was young and ignorant when the incidents occurred but now acknowledged his mistakes.
The judge found Singh showed no remorse as he refused to plead guilty initially and lied about his medical condition. The judge noted Singh targeted vulnerable groups with planning, requiring a heavier sentence.
