Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose
Saiidah Kamarudin was sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail on July 28.
SINGAPORE – A former pre-school teacher was sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail on July 28 for tripping a 20-month-old girl four times.
Saiidah Kamarudin's actions caused the child to fall on her face during one instance, causing a nose bleed.
Saiidah, 34, who has two children of her own,
had pleaded guilty in June to one count of ill-treating the toddler .
Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Tan Jen Tse noted that the young victim could not articulate what the offender had done to her.
He also said that Saiidah had demonstrated persistence and stopped tripping the girl when the child became injured.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie told the court that the Singaporean committed the offence shortly after she tendered her resignation on Oct 12, 2023.
Details about the pre-school have been redacted from court documents.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests
Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts
Singapore Authorities say access to Changi intertidal areas unaffected by reclamation, in response to petition
Singapore SIA flights between S'pore and Cambodia, S'pore and Thailand, operating normally amid border dispute
Singapore Police statements by doctor in fake vaccine case involving Iris Koh allowed in court: Judge
Singapore New Mandai North Crematorium, ash-scattering garden to open on Aug 15
Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng
Singapore With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng
On Nov 6 that year, Saiidah was tasked to help take care of a playgroup which included the victim.
Shortly before 12.30pm, she took the little girl to the toilet area.
While cleaning the child's face, Saiidah used her right leg to sweep outwards from her left to her right, catching the victim's left leg and tripping her.
The court heard that the toddler stumbled but did not fall down.
Saiidah immediately used the same leg to trip the toddler for the second time, causing the child to fall backwards onto the floor.
Saiidah picked the girl up and resumed cleaning her face.
They were about to walk out of the area when Saiidah positioned herself behind the child.
Using a similar method, she tripped the toddler for the third time. The child stumbled forward but did not fall, the court heard.
The girl managed to regain her balance and walked forward, with Saiidah behind her.
At 12.30pm, Saiidah tripped the toddler again. This time, the victim fell down on her face and started crying.
Saiidah picked her up, and another teacher who heard the cries came over to check on the child.
In June, the prosecutor said: 'At this juncture, the victim was bleeding from her right nostril, and there was a bruise under the victim's nose.'
A CCTV camera at the school captured Saiidah committing the offence.
On Nov 8, 2023, the victim's parents took her to a doctor and a medical report later stated that the child had a mild bruise below her nostril.
The father filed a police report two days later and asked to see the CCTV footage of the incident.
Saiidah's employment at the school ended on Nov 14, 2023, and she was arrested on April 18, 2024.
On July 28, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence her to up to a year and four months' jail, stressing that the case involved a vulnerable victim who was only 20 months old at the time.
He also said that Saiidah was in a position of trust when she committed the offence.
Defence lawyer Deepak Natverlal told the court that Saiidah had acted in an uncharacteristic manner and is remorseful.
He added that his client could not explain the reasons behind her offence, and had felt that her then-workplace was not child-centric.
Saiidah's bail has been set at $15,000, and she is expected to begin serving her sentence on Aug 18.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 minutes ago
- Straits Times
New York officer killed in shooting was Bangladeshi immigrant whose wife was pregnant
Find out what's new on ST website and app. WASHINGTON - The New York police officer killed in a mass shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday was described by the city's mayor and police commissioner as a heroic Bangladeshi immigrant who saved lives while "putting his life on the line." A gunman opened fire on Monday inside a midtown office tower, killing four people, including Officer Didarul Islam, 36, before fatally shooting himself, officials said. "We lost four souls to another senseless act of gun violence, including a member of the New York City Police Department, Officer Islam," New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters in a press conference late on Monday. Adams said the officer was a three and a half year veteran of the police department. "He was saving lives, he was protecting New Yorkers," Adams said. "He loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God." Adams said he met the officer's family on Monday night. "I told them that he was a hero, and we admire him for putting his life on the line," the mayor added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach Business Crypto's comeback: Should Bitcoin and other digital assets be in your portfolio now? Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Islam was married, had two young sons, and his wife is pregnant with a third child, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in the press conference. "He put himself in harm's way. He made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood," she said. Islam was working on a paid security detail in the building when the shooting occurred, the commissioner added. Such details allow "companies to hire officers in uniform to provide extra uniform security," she said. Excluding Islam, 42 federal, state, county, municipal, military, and U.S. territories officers have died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025, according to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. REUTERS
AsiaOne
6 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Preschool teacher who tripped toddler 4 times till she bled from nose jailed, Singapore News
A former preschool teacher was sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail on Monday (July 28) for repeatedly tripping a toddler at the centre where she worked. Her actions caused the girl to suffer bruises to her face and bleeding from the nose, reported The Straits times and CNA. Saiidah Kamarudin, 34, had pleaded guilty in June to one of two counts of ill-treating the 20-month-old girl in the case which occurred in November 2023. The other charge was taken into consideration for her sentencing. Media reports did not name the victim and the childcare centre, to protect the girl's identity. Saiidah, a mother of two herself, had started working at the centre in late September but tendered her resignation a month later. On Nov 6, while serving her notice, she had taken the victim to the toilet area to clean her up. While seated with the girl in front of her, Saiidah swept her right leg outwards, which caught the toddler's left foot, causing her to stumble. She repeated the action, which resulted in the girl falling backwards onto the floor. Saiidah picked her up and continued to clean her face. Saiidah did the same thing for the third time as the pair were walking out of the area, with the victim walking in front of her. The girl managed to regain her balance after stumbling and did not fall. The former teacher made one more attempt to trip the girl, this time catching both of her legs. The toddler fell on her face and cried. Footage of the incident caught on CCTV was played in court, reported CNA. According to The Straits Times, the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cheah Wenjie had stated in court last month that the victim was found to be bleeding from her right nostril and there was a bruise under her nose. The girl's parents took her to a doctor on Nov 8 and filed a police report two days later. They also asked to see CCTV footage of the incident. Saiidah was arrested on April 18, 2024. On July 28, the prosecution had urged the court to sentence her to a jail term of between 15 and 16 months, calling her actions "deliberate and calculated", as well as a "disturbing breach of trust by a childcare professional". DPP Cheah also pointed out that the child was unable to tell anyone of the offences as she could not speak. In her defence, Saiidah's lawyer Deepak Netverlal from Crown Juris Law argued that a jail term was not warranted, and that his client is remorseful for her actions. He also highlighted the circumstances behind her resignation, including how her feedback on issues at the school were ignored and she was made to feel "like an outcast" and "not good enough" by other staff members. "The accused acknowledges that she could have behaved better and that it was a solitary incident wherein she had lost her sense of judgment," he added. According to the Children and Young Persons Act, anyone found guilty of ill-treating a child may be jailed up to eight years, or fined up to $8,000, or both. [[nid:717727]] candicecai@
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
ICA inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from 6 foreign men in exchange for his help
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Kannan Morice Rajagopal Jayaram, who committed the offences between 2022 and 2023, pleaded guilty on July 28 to three corruption charges. SINGAPORE – An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from six men in exchange for helping them with their short-term visit pass (STVP) applications so that they could remain in Singapore. Kannan Morice Rajagopal Jayaram, 55, who committed the offences between 2022 and 2023, pleaded guilty on July 28 to three corruption charges, each involving an Indian national. The three men were between 25 and 30 years old at the time. Three other similar charges involving three other men will be considered during the Singaporean's sentencing. In a statement in 2023, ICA said that Kannan has been suspended from service since April that year. The Straits Times has reached out to the agency to find out if he is still working for it. Deputy public prosecutors Bryan Wong and Benjamin Low stated in court documents that Kannan joined ICA in 1996 and became a team leader at ICA's Visit Pass Unit in 2018. He rose through the ranks and became an inspector in 2021. As a team leader, he was responsible for overseeing a team of around 10 ICA officers who reported to him. Among other things, these officers were tasked with processing foreigners' applications to extend their STVPs. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business Crypto's comeback: Should Bitcoin and other digital assets be in your portfolio now? Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Asia Giant algal bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, threatens seafood exports Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far While there were ICA guidelines, Kannan's subordinates also had the discretion to grant or reject STVP extensions if there were sufficient reasons to do so. However, they would usually consult him whenever they encountered difficulties with such applications. In turn, Kannan had the discretion to grant any STVP extension applications that his team handled. There were also times when he manned walk-in counters at the ICA headquarters, the court heard. One of the men he targeted was a 26-year-old Indian national, referred to as V3 in court documents. V3 had arrived in Singapore in March 2022 as he wanted to study hospitality management here. He was issued with a student pass (STP) in mid-2022, but it was only valid until September that year. As such, he had to repeatedly apply for STVP extensions at the ICA's headquarters until he could obtain a fresh STP. On Nov 16, 2022, he went to the headquarters and Kannan attended to him. The pair exchanged contact details and Kannan later contacted him via WhatsApp, asking to meet up. However, V3 declined to do so as he was in school at the time. He later received an official e-mail from ICA on Dec 24 that year, informing him that his STVP extension application had been rejected. As his STVP was due to expire two days later, he panicked and called Kannan to ask for his help with the extension. Kannan then told V3 to bring his immigration documents and meet him at the void deck of a Housing Board block of flats near Kallang MRT station that day. V3 did as he was told and followed Kannan home. While there, Kannan instructed V3 to submit an STVP extension application via the ICA website. After that, Kannan submitted V3's passport number to his ICA subordinate. He also instructed the subordinate to approve V3's latest STVP extension application and grant the younger man an STVP for a duration of two weeks. The officer did as she was told and at around noon that day, V3 received an official e-mail from ICA informing him that his latest STVP extension application had been approved. The prosecutors said: 'He thanked the accused for his the accused requested that V3 kiss him, to which V3 declined as he was not sexually attracted to the accused. 'The accused persisted in his demands for sexual acts from V3, to which the latter eventually acceded to as he was grateful to the accused for his help in granting his STVP extension application.' V3 was also afraid that Kannan would cancel his STVP if he turned down his advances. The two men then went to Kannan's bedroom and the older man performed sexual acts on V3. The court heard that Kannan also committed similar offences involving five other foreign men. Court documents did not state how his crimes came to light, but he was later charged in court in 2023. His mitigation and sentencing are expected to take place on Aug 18.
