A
CHICKEN rice chef allegedly went berserk on Sunday night in
Chinatown, slashing a customer with a chopper after he had
complained that the chicken served was too cold, reported the
Lianhe Wanbao.
The incident happened at 8.40pm, just as the dinner crowd was
out in full force at the stall in Smith Street.
Stall helpers had taken back the customer's dish after his
complaint, allegedly dunking his chicken into hot soup to warm it
up.
They also told the customer he need not pay for his meal.
But the man, who was there with his girlfriend, remained
unsatisfied.
Eyewitnesses said he walked up to the glass counter separating
the kitchen from the dining area and scolded the chef, and
allegedly challenged him to a fight.
The chef kept silent and continued working as the dinner crowd
looked on stunned.
He ignored the customer's taunts but, as the man turned to leave
with his girlfriend, the chef snapped.
He charged outside with his chopper and allegedly ambushed the
customer as he was walking down the road, slashing him on his back
and thigh.
CHEF TURNS HIMSELF IN
The customer collapsed, bleeding profusely, as his hysterical
girlfriend scrambled around for tissue and cloth to stop the
bleeding.
Eyewitnesses said the chef looked shocked afterwards and fled,
before returning later to turn himself in.
In the meantime, the customer was taken to the Singapore General
Hospital (SGH).
The chef started working at the stall about four years ago.
Helpers at the chicken rice shop said the chef would often buy
food for them or treat them when he won the lottery.
'He was always joking around,' said Mr Andy Puah, 26, a stall
assistant.
Mr Tan said the customer was about 1.8m tall and weighed about
90kg.
A police spokesman said they recived a call at 8.40pm about a
fight at Smith Street. When they arrived, a man in his 40s was
found with injuries on his back and thigh.
The spokesman added that the police later arrested a man in his
60s.
One eyewitness, Mr Tan K C, a lawyer in his 40s,
claimed: 'The customer was hurling vulgarities, scolding the chef's
father and mother.'
Customer act tough and curse well but can't fight. So sad. He
showed so much intelligence cursing at a man chopping
away with his chopper. He is so pathetic to lose his fight
against a 60 year old man when he is supposedly younger and
stronger. So sad..
