A 66-year-old taxi driver was charged in court last week after he attacked a fellow taxi driver with a makeshift flamethrower made from a can of insecticide spray during an altercation.
The incident occurred along Harbour Front Walk around 8pm on 1 May last year and the assailant, Huang Shun Jin, has been charged with one count of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon over a year later.
According to the Chinese daily, Huang had gotten into a argument with the victim, Lin Jun Cai, over a traffic accident that day. As the dispute became heated, the drivers alighted their vehicles and clashed before Huang returned to his vehicle to grab a can of insecticide.
Huang then directed the spray of insecticide towards Lin while lighting it up, causing the highly flammable aerosol spray to turn into a fireball.
Lin was burned and suffered burn wounds on his face, ear, and neck, with some hair and parts of his eyebrows being burnt off as well. It remains unclear whether the victim will suffer permanent scarring on his face.
Although Huang initially pleaded guilty last Thursday, his lawyer claimed that Huang had undergone a surgery on his hand and thus it is unclear whether he intentionally lit the insecticide during the altercation.
Arguing that he is awaiting a medical report to determine if his client had intentionally lit the insecticide, Huang’s lawyer requested an extension so he could retrieve relevant records.
Huang will return to court on 29 June.