82-year-old man who killed daughter-in-law jailed 8 years

An 82-year-old man who stabbed his daughter-in-law to death in their Tampines flat in 2014 was sentenced to eight years' jail on Monday (Apr 25).

Retiree Char Chin Fah pleaded guilty Monday morning to one count of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, for killing Madam Ong Guat Leng, 54, on Aug 21, 2014.

The pair shared an acrimonious relationship, the High Court heard, and Char often complained Mdm Ong, a housewife, was disrespectful towards him. He decided to kill her after the two quarrelled and Char's son failed to stand up for him, siding with Mdm Ong, his wife, instead. 

Char waited till family members had left the flat they shared at Tampines Street 43 for work the next morning before killing Mdm Ong, whose bloodied body was found with the knife Char had used to stab her still embedded in her chest.

A psychiatric assessment later revealed Char had been suffering from acute paranoid reaction at the time of the killing.
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For culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Char could have been jailed for life, or for up to 20 years. As he is above 50, he cannot be caned.