Man accused of choking baby, hanging him in cupboard switches lawyers

This can cover any issue that needs to be ironed out before going to open court, and does not always mean a trial is going to take place despite the name.

The judge adjourned the case for the defence counsel to take instructions from the accused and send representations before the next pre-trial conference.

Sending representations refers to the defence submitting a letter to the Attorney-General’s Chambers setting out reasons for various legal outcomes, such as a lowered charge or the dropping of a charge, possibly with an explanation of their case.

The man was charged in September mostly for abusing a baby he was caring for at a flat in July and August last year, when the boy was between nine and 11 months old.

The more than 30 charges he was handed detailed acts like stepping on the baby’s face, pushing the boy’s head into a pail of water, choking the boy repeatedly, suffocating him with a pillow, hanging the baby in a cupboard by the back of his singlet with the door closed and punching his face.

The most recent offence is said to have occurred on Sep 16, 2024, at a void deck instead of the usual location, with the accused allegedly twisting the boy’s arms, punching his face, shaking his head forcefully and dragging him along a table by his neck.

The next pre-trial conference is set for Nov 24.

For each charge of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act, the man could be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000 (US$6,170), or both.