SINGAPORE, Sept 29 — While in a tumultuous relationship with her long-term boyfriend, a woman suspected that he was having an affair.
Over their 11 years of dating, they broke up a few times and during one such break, he reconciled with his ex-wife.
One evening in 2017, while he was sleeping on a sofa in her living room, the woman emptied a mug of hot water on his groin.
He ended up suffering second — and third-degree burns over 12 per cent of his body.
Zareena Begum PAM Basheer Ahamed claimed trial to a single charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to him, saying that it was an accident.
But yesterday, a district judge rejected the 50-year-old woman’s defence and convicted her.
She will return to court for sentencing on October 20 and remains out on bail.
She could be jailed up to 15 years or for life and fined. Offenders can receive caning but women cannot be caned under Singapore law.
Rocky relationship
The couple began dating in 2006. Zareena knew he was married when they first met but he promised to marry her, the court heard during the trial.
Court documents did not reveal when he eventually divorced his wife.
Over the years, they quarrelled and broke up a few times, accusing each other of cheating.
In 2015, Zareena again believed her boyfriend was unfaithful.
Almost two years later, in January 2017, she saw him at the HarbourFront Centre ferry terminal with the woman she suspected to be having an affair with him.
He testified, however, that he still loved Zareena deeply. They were still dating at this point.
Several months later on July 4, Zareena invited him to her flat. She made him supper and they watched television before he fell asleep on the sofa.
Zareena then snapped when she took his mobile phone from his bag and saw WhatsApp messages the other woman had sent him, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Jun Chong told the court.
“In her mind, she loved him so much, gave him so many chances, devoted so many years of her life to him, and treated him so well. But he still cheated on her. She was furious. She wanted to teach him a lesson for letting her down over and over again,” DPP Ng said.
She boiled water in the kitchen before pouring the hot liquid on his groin over his pants.
A medical expert gave evidence that there was likely at least 200ml to 300ml of water at about 90°C to 100°C.
In her defence, Zareena claimed during the trial that she had woken him up to show him the messages before they argued for about half an hour.
She said that he followed her into the kitchen where she had boiled the water, but he pulled her arm while she was turning and holding the mug, causing the water to spill onto his groin.
However, he testified that he had been sleeping and suddenly woke up to “the worst pain” he had felt in his life.
He told the court that he confronted Zareena, asking her why she had done this to him. She replied: “Serve you right (sic).”
DPP Ng said: “He retrieved his bag and ran to the roadside to take a taxi to the hospital. While he was frantically running around, she simply stood there. She did not even offer to take the victim to the hospital because she was simply boiling with rage.”
Zareena also sent messages by phone to his family members complaining about the supposed affair. She taunted him to “get... the new girlfriend to get the aloe vera” when he contacted her about two months after the incident, the prosecutor added.
The victim was hospitalised for 26 days and given 39 days of medical leave. He could not work for about six months after the incident.
He did not make a police report against Zareena, but the Singapore General Hospital, where he received treatment, did. — TODAY
