SINGAPORE: Three schizophrenic men who committed or attempted killings, but were acquitted of murder or attempted murder on the basis of an unsound mind, were ordered to be confined for another year after a review on Wednesday (Dec 4).
The first man, 60-year-old Wong Kwok Wah, killed his neighbour in 1991. He is confined in the psychiatric care unit of Changi Prison.
The second, 66-year-old Tung Siew Meng, killed his 70-year-old mother in 2001 after hearing a spirit saying she was a witch. He is confined in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
The third, 72-year-old Omar Abdullah, attempted murder in 1991 and was released from confinement, but tried to rob a pawnshop while armed with a chopper in 2019. He is confined in IMH.
All appeared in the High Court via video link from their places of confinement. No next-of-kin were present in court.
Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the court can order a person to be kept in safe custody in a place and manner as it thinks fit, if it finds that a person’s actions would have amounted to an offence if not for an unsound mind.
The hearing was for state counsels, acting on behalf of the Minister for Law, to apply to the court asking for the men to be confined for another year from Jan 12, 2025.
Justice Valerie Thean granted the three applications after a hearing of under an hour.
WONG KWOK WAH
Wong was tried in the High Court in 1991 for a charge of murdering his elderly neighbour. In September 1988, he killed the neighbour by fracturing his skull with a blunt blow.
The court found that he had committed the act causing death, but acquitted him on the basis of an unsound mind.
Wong was diagnosed with schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder and was said to exhibit impulsive behaviour, self-harm and violent outbursts.
According to a 1988 psychiatric report, he has been mentally unwell since his secondary school days.
On Wednesday, Wong disputed hearing voices during the offence, and said he told the trial judge: “Your Honour, I never heard voices before. Please give me a fair trial.”
In a rambling manner, he repeated a few times that he had never heard voices before and said the psychiatric report was wrong. He also asked the court to arrange for him to get a lawyer.
In response, State Counsel Ho Jiayun said that at the time of the offence in 1998, Wong heard a voice repeatedly commanding him to kill the deceased, which he could not resist.
This was accepted by the trial court, which was satisfied that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time, Ms Ho said.
She informed the court that Wong continued to experience psychosis and paranoid beliefs. What he said in court reflected his lack of insight into his mental condition as well as his ongoing persecutory beliefs.
On Wong’s request for a lawyer, Ms Ho said that he had a lawyer at his trial, to which Wong interjected: “That was in 1991!”
Ms Ho said that when Wong’s next-of-kin were informed of the present application, they were also asked if he would have representation.
But there was no reply from Wong’s brother this year, she said.
TUNG SIEW MENG
Tung attacked his mother with a hammer in March 2001, after defaulting from his treatment for schizophrenia. He said he heard a spirit telling him that his mother was a witch and went to her room with a hammer.
He hit her while she was lying on the bed and killed her. He was charged with murder and found to have committed the act but was acquitted on the basis of having an unsound mind.
During his mention, Tung went into a rant about his Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings being “stolen” by the ruling party.
He also said he was “very well” and had been recovering for 20 years. “You give me medicine to take, also well. Don’t take, also well,” he said.
State Counsel Lee Hui Min said that Tung was assessed to have a high risk of causing injury to others if released, citing various reasons.
His schizophrenia symptoms continued to persist despite long-term treatment. In particular, he had the delusion that IMH staff and other patients were “devils who were attacking him”.
Tung interrupted the state counsel to say this was true.
Ms Lee continued that Tung lacked insight into his mental condition and need for medication, and had rejected treatment in IMH. He instead attributed his condition to “witchcraft and a spiritual battle between God and Satan”.
Most importantly, Tung lacked a support system outside IMH that would ensure he continued to receive medication and treatment, as he was estranged from his family, said Ms Lee.
The ward setting in IMH would ensure he was constantly monitored, and there would be timely intervention and restraint if necessary, she said.
Ms Lee added that Tung had not submitted any objection to the application to further confine him.
“What we understand from IMH is that he has apparently come to terms with the fact that he will have to be confined in IMH for now to ensure that he receives care and treatment,” she said.
After Justice Thean ordered Tung’s continued confinement, he continued to talk about his CPF savings being stolen and said: “I tell you the truth, you’re wrong. You’re dead meat, I tell you.”
OMAR ABDULLAH
Omar committed attempted murder in 1991 but was acquitted by the High Court. The case was reported to the then-Minister for Law, who made an order in 1991 for Omar to be confined.
In 2015, Omar’s sister made an application for him to be released, based on several conditions, and the application was granted.
After Omar’s release, he attempted armed robbery and appeared before a court. He was sent to IMH and the release order was revoked.
Omar has been confined at IMH since August 2019, with a total confinement period of almost 30 years.
During his mention, he spoke almost indecipherably, prompting Justice Thean to tell him the court could not hear him and to ask if he was speaking in English or Malay.
At times, Omar appeared to be talking about staying with his sister.
He also appeared to be reading an address from a piece of paper in his hand, which State Counsel Jared Foong said could be his sister’s address.
Justice Thean told Omar that his sister had been informed of his hearing, before granting the application to further confine him.
