S'porean woman, 67, who punched & scratched domestic helper till she bled, gets 4 months' jail

A Singaporean woman slapped, punched, and scratched the domestic helper she employed as she was upset with the way she performed tasks.

According to CNA, Hazel Phang Fong Yen, 67, was sentenced to four months' jail on Jun. 24 after she pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt to a domestic worker with a second similar charge taken into consideration.

Phang was also ordered to pay S$4,440 to the victim, 27-year-old Myanmar national Man Sian Hoih Cing.

Phang will serve another four weeks in jail if she does not pay.

Punched victim once on her eye

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the victim started working for Phang in August 2022 when she was 23.

Phang lived with her husband and mother in a flat.

In September 2022, Phang asked the victim to check the expiry date of a food item and perform another task.

The victim performed the other task but forgot to check the expiry date, which angered Phang, leading her to slap the victim's cheek.

Phang slapped the victim again on another occasion in September or October 2022, as the victim did not hear Phang's mother ask for assistance.

In a separate incident around the same time, Phang asked the victim to clean soap bottles in the toilet.

The victim sprayed the bottles with water.

Phang became upset at the victim for cleaning the bottles in such a manner and punched the victim once on her eye.

Scratched victim's neck & chest, drawing blood

In October 2022, while the victim was hanging bedsheets to dry on a pole, Phang scolded her for hanging the heavier sheets at the end of the pole.

According to court documents, Phang scratched the victim's neck and chest region, which started bleeding.

On Oct. 15, 2022, Phang told the victim to water the plants at around 6pm.

At the time, the victim was cooking and cutting fruits for Phang's husband.

When Phang realised the plants were not watered, she became angry and scratched the victim's face at least twice, near her cheek and under her nose.

Medical report stated victim had blunt trauma to eye

The next day, Phang's niece visited the flat and saw that the victim was bleeding.

She told her father, who was Phang's brother.

He took the victim to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) to seek medical attention.

The TTSH medical report dated Feb. 2, 2023, stated that the victim was presented to the emergency department on Oct. 16, 2022.

The victim was diagnosed with blunt trauma to her eye, facial bruising and multiple abrasions over her face and chest.

The victim's wounds were dressed, and she was discharged with medication.

The victim took photos of her injuries.

After she was discharged, the victim moved in with Phang's relatives.

Centre for Domestic Employees staff lodged police report

On Dec. 27, 2022, the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) contacted the victim as part of a routine well-being call.

The victim informed CDE that Phang had hurt her, and CDE staff lodged a police report and brought her to Alexandra Hospital (AH) Urgent Care Centre on the same day.

The AH medical report dated Feb. 4, 2023 found scars on the victim's upper lip, left cheek and chest wall as a result of Phang's actions.

Phang was arrested on Sep. 9, 2025 and released on bail on the same day.

S$470 monthly salary

The victim's monthly salary was S$470, and she was unemployed for two months from the date that the police report was lodged, from Dec. 27, 2022, to Feb. 28, 2023.

Phang paid the victim her salary of S$470 and pocket money of S$72.30 on Dec. 8, 2022, for the period between Nov. 9 and Dec. 8, 2022.

She also paid the victim another S$289.20 for the period between Dec. 9 and Dec. 27, 2022.

Sentencing

The deputy public prosecutor sought four to six months' jail for Phang and a compensation order of S$4,440.

The compensation sum consists of S$940 for the victim's two-month-long unemployment period and S$3,500 for her pain and suffering in the two charges as she was scarred on her face and chest.

According to CNA, Phang's lawyer, Kalaithasan Karuppaya from Regent Law, sought a fine of S$10,000 or three months' jail.

He said Phang was remorseful and lives with her 70-year-old husband, who is a prostate cancer survivor.

The couple have no children, and Phang has been unemployed since her health started to worsen — she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022 and suffers from other conditions as well.

He said that Phang was also the primary caregiver for her 103-year-old mother until she died in 2024, reported CNA.

Kalaithasan added that Phang was underweight at 38kg and frail, arguing that any jail term would greatly jeopardise her recovery and rehabilitation.

An offender can face up to three years' jail or a fine of up to S$5,000 or both, for voluntarily causing hurt.

Phang could have faced up to double the penalties as the victim was a domestic helper.