S'porean man, 36, who bit off part of another man's ear during fight, gets 20 months' jail & 3 strokes of cane

A man who bit off part of another man's ear during an argument on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) was sentenced to 20 months' jail and three strokes of the cane on Mar. 12.

After his release from jail, he will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 12 months.

Ronald Koh, 36, claimed trial in February to contest two charges against him regarding the incident.

Apart from biting part of a man's left ear off, he was also accused of hitting the victim's father on his lower back and stepping on his left foot.

Initially denied biting the ear

On Feb. 26, 2024, Koh was riding a motorcycle on the PIE when he got into a dispute with Fabian Quak and his father, who were in a car, over their use of the road.

After all parties pulled over and got out at a road shoulder, Koh and Fabian got into a physical altercation on the grass.

Fabian told his father that Koh had bitten his ear, and they later found a piece of flesh from the middle of his ear on the road near a small drain.

During trial, Koh repeatedly denied that he had bitten Fabian's ear intentionally.

Koh argued that he had had his eyes gouged, had fingers and ears shoved into his mouth, and had been head-butted.

The prosecutor, however, said that was simply unbelievable.

He called Koh's evidence of how he was attacked when he bent over "ridiculous at best".

"He was unable to explain how they could have gouged his eyes when he was wearing spectacles that fit snugly within his helmet," the prosecutor added.

Eventually, under cross-examination, Koh admitted that he had bitten Fabian's ear during the altercation.

"I guess I was the being with the mouth that bit off the ear," he said.

The victim's injury

The piece of Fabian's ear that was bitten off measured 3.5cm by 1.5cm, according to the prosecutor.

Even after going through surgery to replant it, the cosmetic disfiguration is permanent, as there was a 50 to 60 per cent loss of the severed piece.

Fabian testified in court that he has continued to experience intermittent pain around his left ear and a loss of sensation in the reattached part.

The prosecutor sought a sentence of two years in jail, three strokes of the cane, and a 12-month disqualification from driving.

In the sentencing, the judge described Koh's actions as "particularly vicious and barbaric", and agreed with the prosecutor that caning was appropriate, CNA reported.

He also noted that at the time of the offence, Koh was already under investigation for a separate road rage incident that also involved assault.

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