Helper gets murder charge reduced after lawyers argue she stabbed victim as she had been provoked
A domestic helper who was previously sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing her employer’s mother-in-law 26 times has had her charge reduced.
On Wednesday (14 May), the Court of Appeal reduced the charge to culpable homicide, reported The Straits Times.
Elderly woman had threatened to send helper back
The incident occurred in June 2018, when Zin Mar Nwe — a Myanmar national — was working for her third employer in Singapore.
She was 17 years old at the time, though her passport falsely listed her as 23 — the minimum age to work as a domestic helper in Singapore.
She had been working for the household for about two weeks when the employer’s 70-year-old mother-in-law arrived from India for a one-month stay.
One day, when they were alone in the flat, the elderly woman threatened to send the helper back to her agent — a threat that reportedly triggered the fatal attack.
Helper fled after stabbing elderly woman 26 times
The helper grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the victim 26 times.
Source: iStock, for illustration purposes only
After the attack, she took some cash and went to her employment agency to ask for her passport.
However, she quickly fled when she realised that they were calling her employer.
She wandered around for hours before returning to the agency, where she was arrested.
Initially, she denied committing the act and blamed it on two men.
‘Grave & sudden provocation’ caused helper to lose control: Lawyer
At her trial in 2023, her lawyer argued she had suffered from a mental condition that affected her judgment, but that defence was later rejected.
Her current lawyer, Mr Josephus Tan, told the Court of Appeal that having changed employers three times within five months, the elderly woman’s threat presented a possibility that she would be sent back to her home country, riddled with debt.
Source: shisuka on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Thus, the threat amounted to “grave and sudden provocation” that caused the young woman to lose self-control.
He also said the victim had previously “scolded, hit, and hurt the accused”.
Source: kieferpix on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Helper has charge reduced as reasonable person may have also stabbed
However Deputy Public Prosecutor Kumaresan Gohulabalan argued that there was no evidence of physical abuse, aside from her self-reported claims.
The prosecution also added that the threat was not grave enough to provoke such a violent outburst.
However, the Court, which included Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, allowed the appeal to amend the charge as he found that the helper’s age and fear of deportation to be sufficient reason for any reasonable person to have been similarly provoked.
Detailed reasons will be released in due course.
Charge reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder
The helper was previously convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Following the appeal, she is convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
For this offence, she could face life imprisonment or up to 20 years’ jail.
The case has been adjourned to allow both sides to prepare sentencing submissions.
Also read: Myanmar Helper Gets Life Imprisonment After Stabbing S’pore Employer’s Mother-In-Law 26 Times
Myanmar Helper Gets Life Imprisonment After Stabbing S’pore Employer’s Mother-In-Law 26 Times
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Featured image by MS News.
