Helper who committed rash act, causing elderly employer to suffer head injury gets 8 weeks’ jail

AI generated

SINGAPORE - A domestic helper got into a scuffle with her elderly employer, who fell and suffered a left subdural haemorrhage.

It is a medical condition where blood pools between the surface of the brain and the inner layer of the skull.

The 94-year-old victim went to hospital where he went through a platelet transfusion to prevent the injury from worsening.

Sulastri Wulandari, 31, who is an Indonesian, was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail on Aug 14 after pleading guilty to causing hurt to the senior citizen by performing a rash act.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Chia told the court the victim had needed her help with his daily activities.

The pair were the only residents of a Telok Blangah Housing Board flat, and they slept in separate bedrooms.

Sulastri was in her bedroom at around 10.30pm on Feb 21 when the victim knocked on her bedroom door as he needed her help to accompany him outside for a meal.

She opened the door, told him he had already eaten that evening, and slammed it shut.

Minutes later, the victim used the base of his walking stick to repeatedly hit her bedroom door.

He did so for about 10 seconds before she finally opened it.

Sulastri lost her temper, grabbed the walking stick with both hands, and tried to snatch it from him.

A scuffle ensued as the victim tried to hold on to his walking stick.

The victim lost his balance, fell backwards and the back of his head struck a wall.

He started bleeding from his head, and Sulastri told his nephew at around 11.20pm the victim had fallen.

The nephew rushed to his uncle’s home, and the latter went to Singapore General Hospital.

The victim was warded between Feb 22 and 25.

Sulastri was arrested on July 29, and she was charged soon after.