HE WAS bigger.
Yet he felt he needed to wield a metal rod against a much smaller victim.
And so the road rage case came to be likened by a judge as "Goliath" savagely bashing an unarmed "David".
"David" was victim Ron Situ Yong Jun, 36, who was hit several times on the head with the metal rod. The sales and marketing man suffered a fractured left arm while trying to shield his head from the blows, and a 2cm laceration on his scalp (above).
His injuries resulted in him being hospitalised for four days and being given medical leave for two months.
"Goliath" was Victor Samuel, a 43-year-old part-time property agent who was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months' jail and three strokes of the cane for the attack.
He has appealed against the conviction and sentence and is now out on bail. It is not known when the appeal is scheduled to be heard.
The two men's vehicles and a taxi were involved in an accident at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 on May 10, 2007 at about 6.55pm, according to court papers released late last year.
Mr Situ testified that when he got out of his car to assess the damage, Samuel came "rushing out" of the car and hit him with an iron rod several times.
Mr Situ tried to block the blows with his arms before he managed to wrest the rod away from Samuel. He tried to flee, but Samuel grabbed him and continued to punch him in the face.
Samuel then tried to snatch the rod, causing a scuffle between the two men during which Samuel fell and pulled Mr Situ down with him.
Mr Situ said he got up and tried to retreat from Samuel, but the latter continued to approach him and used vulgarities on him, telling him "you'll die".
That's when Mr Situ asked the taxi driver to call the police.
Feeling weak from the pain in his left arm and bleeding head, he recorded Samuel's licence plate number and left the scene to pick up his wife.
He had been on his way to her when the accident happened.
Shortly after, Mr Situ drove to a neighbourhood police centre to seek help. But as he was running towards the police post entrance, he fainted and had to be assisted by police officers.
He was then rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
Mr Situ had to undergo surgery for the broken arm and had a metal piece inserted. Samuel, who claimed trial, disputed Mr Situ's version of events.
He said there had been no metal rod.
Instead, he claimed it was Mr Situ who came charging towards him, and he held up an umbrella with both hands to defend himself.
He claimed he received two blows, and Mr Situ grabbed the umbrella and wrested it from him after twisting and yanking, causing him to fly forward and land on his hands and knees.
He claimed he was then hit twice in the neck and shoulder with the umbrella.
He denied hitting Mr Situ and added that it was Mr Situ who came rushing at him swinging his arms, which was how his arm came into contact with the umbrella.
He also claimed Mr Situ's injuries were self-inflicted, when he banged forcefully onto Samuel's car boot with his arms.
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But in her written judgement released late last year, District Judge Janet Wang Lan Jee dismissed Samuel's version of events.
She noted that in his statement to police, he had categorically stated that he took a 40cm aluminium pole from his car to deter the victim from hitting his car, and had used the pole to swing at the victim once at the forehead.
He never mentioned an umbrella.
When asked about this "damning and incriminating evidence", Samuel claimed the police statement was not correct as he was medicated, tired and in pain when it was recorded, and his testimony is the correct version.
But a doctor testified that it was unlikely that the combination of drugs that Samuel said he took would cause drowsiness or lack of focus.
The police officer who recorded the statement also said Samuel did not complain of any discomfort, pain or sleepiness before or during the recording, nor did he appear unwell.
The judge also noted that "for all his show of pain and grogginess, the accused was still able to drive to the police station".
She added that independent medical evidence also supported Mr Situ's version.
Dr Yu Chun Sing, a senior consultant at the department of orthopaedic surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, ruled out the possibility of the fracture being a result of Mr Situ's victim beating his own arms onto a car boot.
