Jail, fine for ex-lawyer M. Ravi for offences including causing hurt

His bipolar disorder not a mitigating factor because he did not comply with treatment

- Nadine Chua

Disbarred lawyer Ravi Madasamy was on Aug 2 sentenced to 14 weeks' jail and fined $5,500 for a string of offences he committed between 2021 and 2023.

These include verbally insulting a saleswoman when she could not hear him during a conversation, slapping an acquaintance who wanted to greet him, and pushing over a restaurant waitress who asked if he wanted a drink.

The former lawyer, also known as M. Ravi, also pushed a priest and hurled vulgarities at several people in a temple in South Bridge Road.

The 55-year-old had pleaded guilty in July to six counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count each of harassment, using criminal force, and causing public nuisance.

In November 2021, Ravi was at a law firm in North Bridge Road, where he was practising law, when he threw a glass perfume bottle at a paralegal and used his hands to choke him, blaming him for not printing documents for a hearing.

When the paralegal said he had asked another colleague to print the documents, Ravi threw a remote control at the other man.

In January 2022, Ravi was at a boutique in Joo Chiat when he became agitated after a saleswoman said she could not hear him. He insulted her and shouted vulgarities at her.

In February that year, he was at a bookshop in Upper Cross Street when an acquaintance greeted him. Ravi became agitated and slapped the man.