Judge copied ex Chief Justice Yong Pung How style, criminal appealed for lighter sentence but judge up the sentence to life imprisonment. Ho seh Liao
- Thread starter Boonsiong
- Start date
SINGAPORE – A man who is serving a 35-year jail term for abusing his two children, resulting in the death of his five-year-old daughter, had his sentence increased to life imprisonment on July 11, after his appeal for a reduced term failed.
The 45-year-old man had appealed for a sentence of between 25½ and 30 years’ jail.
Instead, the Court of Appeal exercised its discretion to enhance the individual sentence for the man’s most serious charge, one of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, from the original 15 years to life imprisonment.
The 45-year-old man had appealed for a sentence of between 25½ and 30 years’ jail.
Instead, the Court of Appeal exercised its discretion to enhance the individual sentence for the man’s most serious charge, one of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, from the original 15 years to life imprisonment.
The man cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect the identity of his son, who survived the abuse.
While the prosecution did not file an appeal against the man’s original sentence, the court had asked parties to prepare submissions on whether this case was one of the worst types of cases of culpable homicide that warranted life imprisonment.
The man’s lawyer, Mr Mervyn Cheong, argued that a life term was not warranted.
He noted that neither the prosecution nor the defence appealed against the individual sentence for the culpable homicide charge, and that 35 years was a lengthy sentence.
While the prosecution did not file an appeal against the man’s original sentence, the court had asked parties to prepare submissions on whether this case was one of the worst types of cases of culpable homicide that warranted life imprisonment.
The man’s lawyer, Mr Mervyn Cheong, argued that a life term was not warranted.
He noted that neither the prosecution nor the defence appealed against the individual sentence for the culpable homicide charge, and that 35 years was a lengthy sentence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew said life imprisonment would not be disproportionate to the man’s culpability and the gravity of the offence, which warrants a sentence at the high end of the sentencing range.
The prosecutor noted that the court has the discretion to enhance an offender’s sentence in the absence of an appeal by the prosecution if the interests of justice call for such an increase.
The three-judge court, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, dismissed the man’s appeal, rejecting his arguments that he has shown remorse and that he should be given a sentencing discount for pleading guilty.
Chief Justice Menon said the court will issue detailed grounds to explain its decision in due course.
The judges, who also included Justice Steven Chong and Justice Judith Prakash, also imposed 12 strokes of the cane, which were part of the original sentence.
However, the man will not be caned as he was medically certified in 2024 to be permanently unfit for caning, on account of his degenerative disc disease and a disc compression.
The High Court had allowed the name of his daughter, Ayeesha, to be published.
Ayeesha was five years old when she died from a head injury after her father rained blows to her face. Her brother was then four.
The man had Ayeeseha and her brother from his previous marriage. He has three other children with his second wife, whom he married in 2015.
The man, who had martial arts training, started abusing Ayeesha and her brother in 2015.
He hit the two children and left them malnourished.
From February to October 2016, the couple confined the children in a “naughty corner”, which was barricaded with a bookshelf and a wardrobe to keep them there.
The children were let out only for meals and baths.
The man also installed a CCTV camera to monitor the children.
The children were confined naked in the toilet for nearly 10 months, from October 2016 to Aug 11, 2017.
The prosecutor noted that the court has the discretion to enhance an offender’s sentence in the absence of an appeal by the prosecution if the interests of justice call for such an increase.
The three-judge court, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, dismissed the man’s appeal, rejecting his arguments that he has shown remorse and that he should be given a sentencing discount for pleading guilty.
Chief Justice Menon said the court will issue detailed grounds to explain its decision in due course.
The judges, who also included Justice Steven Chong and Justice Judith Prakash, also imposed 12 strokes of the cane, which were part of the original sentence.
However, the man will not be caned as he was medically certified in 2024 to be permanently unfit for caning, on account of his degenerative disc disease and a disc compression.
The High Court had allowed the name of his daughter, Ayeesha, to be published.
Ayeesha was five years old when she died from a head injury after her father rained blows to her face. Her brother was then four.
The man had Ayeeseha and her brother from his previous marriage. He has three other children with his second wife, whom he married in 2015.
The man, who had martial arts training, started abusing Ayeesha and her brother in 2015.
He hit the two children and left them malnourished.
From February to October 2016, the couple confined the children in a “naughty corner”, which was barricaded with a bookshelf and a wardrobe to keep them there.
The children were let out only for meals and baths.
The man also installed a CCTV camera to monitor the children.
The children were confined naked in the toilet for nearly 10 months, from October 2016 to Aug 11, 2017.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2008
- Messages
- 83,344
- Points
- 113
There you see. No sexual abuse. .
Similar threads
