Former lawyer M. Ravi cannot be allowed to hide behind bipolar disorder: Prosecution

 He verbally insulted a saleswoman when she could not hear him during a conversation, slapped an acquaintance who wanted to greet him, and pushed over a restaurant waitress who asked if he wanted a drink.

On July 17, disbarred lawyer Ravi Madasamy, or M. Ravi, pleaded guilty to nine charges for multiple offences he had committed from January 2022 to September 2023.

These included six counts of voluntarily causing hurt, one of harassment, one of using criminal force, and one of causing public nuisance. Ten other charges will be taken into consideration for his sentencing in August.

Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006.

During the hearing, District Judge Luke Tan asked the prosecution and the defence to state their positions over Ravi’s condition and the weight that it should be granted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh said little to no weight should be given to the former lawyer’s bipolar disorder where his offences are concerned.

DPP Koh said that while the prosecution recognises that Ravi suffers from the mental disorder, multiple attempts have been made to help him.

Ravi had three sets of convictions in 2004, 2009 and 2018 where he was given fines and a mandatory treatment order.

The offences ranged from disorderly conduct and mischief to housebreaking and voluntarily causing hurt.

Seeking a jail term of between 18 and 24 weeks, along with a $3,000 fine, DPP Koh said: “This is a case where there have been repeated failures and breaks in compliance in (Ravi’s) treatment regimen... There must be a line drawn somewhere.

“Mr Ravi cannot be allowed to hide behind this condition. There must be some responsibility taken and now is the time. We are at a point where stiffer sentences are required.”

In response, Ravi’s defence lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said the case and his client’s medical condition were complex.

Said Mr Thuraisingam: “It’s inherent in the condition that there will be relapses. During a manic episode, individuals do not perceive they are ill. They can vehemently reject treatment.”

He pointed out that even though Ravi had continued with his treatment follow-ups and medication around June 2022, he still had a relapse.

The district judge then asked if an alternative for Ravi is incapacitation, as the defence was arguing that treatment does not help him.

This could mean a more substantial jail term for the protection of the public, if treatment is not helping his condition.

Mr Thuraisingam said incapacitation cannot be the answer in this case, because it was undisputed that the harm caused in Ravi’s offences was low, and there is a causal link with his bipolar disorder.

During mitigation, the veteran lawyer argued that his client has grappled with the mental condition nearly his entire professional life, resulting in financial and criminal repercussions.

But he said Ravi always managed to turn his life around.

“Each time he has suffered from this condition, he has picked up his life, put the pieces together and moved on. We know he has argued successful capital cases and constitutional issues,” the lawyer said.

“These are issues that affect the lives of the common man, that’s why I say he has contributed good to the society. Some weight should be given to that.”

Ravi’s current charges involve offences that took place over a period of more than 1½ years.

On Jan 22, 2022, he was at a boutique in Joo Chiat when he became agitated when a saleswoman said she could not hear him, and he then insulted her verbally.

On Feb 11, 2022, he was at a bookshop in Upper Cross Street when an acquaintance spotted him and approached him to greet him. Ravi became agitated and slapped the man in the face.

At Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road on July 9, 2023, after Ravi pushed himself to the front of a line, he threw a plate of offerings on the floor and pushed a priest who tried to pick the offerings up. Some time later, he hurled vulgarities at several people and was escorted out of the temple.

He went back to the same temple on Sept 15, 2023, to buy some items but ended up slapping a shop assistant after getting agitated.

On July 11, 2023, Ravi was having a meal at a restaurant in South Bridge Road when he became agitated after a waitress asked if he wanted coffee or tea after his meal.

He pushed her to the ground, causing her to bleed from the back of her head, before verbally abusing the restaurant manager.

On July 12, 2023, the police were called to Yio Chu Kang MRT station after multiple reports were made against Ravi and his disruptive behaviour. He agreed to leave when the officers arrived, but later got into a dispute with an SMRT employee and slapped the man in full view of the police.

Ravi will return to the State Courts on Aug 2 for his sentencing.

Source: Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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