In July 2020, a domestic helper was arrested for allegedly murdering a 95-year-old woman at a house on Recreation Road near Serangoon North.
More than two years later, she pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 16 years’ jail on Tuesday (15 Nov).
Her identification documents stated she was 36 years old, but she was actually much older.
Her elderly employer reportedly spat in her face, and the helper decided to “teach her a lesson”, leading up to the murder.
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Sandar Htoo, a domestic helper from Myanmar, started working for Madam Ang Pek Chai in February 2020.
Madam Ang was Sandar’s second employer and lived in a house on Recreation Road with her 78-year-old son. Three of her other children lived in the neighbouring houses.
Source: Google Maps
Sandar’s tasks included household duties and being Madam Ang’s main caregiver. As the elderly woman had difficulty walking and required a walking frame, she relied heavily on the helper for mobility around the house.
On the morning of the incident, Sandar awoke at 5am and was doing her chores at around 8am when she heard Madam Ang using the bathroom upstairs, noted CNA.
She then went up to help the elderly woman who was leaving the toilet with the help of her walking frame.
Allegedly upset that Sandar was late in assisting her, an upset Madam Ang scolded the helper before spitting in her face multiple times.
Instead of reacting immediately, Sandar decided to remain quiet and wiped the spit off her shirt, reported The Straits Times (ST).
However, as Madam Ang went about her day and took an afternoon nap after reading the newspapers, Sandar’s resentment grew.
She apparently felt that the old woman was acting as if the spitting incident never took place.
While cleaning a toilet, Sandar reflected on the incident and other occasions when her employer allegedly mistreated her.
The helper claimed that the elderly woman had scolded and slapped her before.
Upset, Sandar decided to “teach her a lesson”. Heading to the kitchen, she took a 30cm and the 18cm-long knife.
Wielding a knife in each hand, she went up to her employer’s bedroom but hesitated, pacing back and forth, claimed CNA.
She considered slapping Madam Ang and expressing her suffering. However, she did not do so because there could be miscommunication between them.
Finally, Sandar commenced the brutal attack, plunging the 30cm-long knife into her employer’s mouth and the other into the side of her neck as she lay sleeping.
Madam Ang allegedly woke up and put up a struggle but Sandar covered her with a blanket. The helper promptly left the scene, leaving the knives still lodged in her elderly employer.
ST wrote that after climbing over a fence, she asked a passer-by for help to get to a police station. The stranger quickly called a Grab for her.
At the police station, Sandar reportedly said, “Ah Ma killed”, gesturing in a stabbing motion.
The police brought her back to the house, where her employer lay in a pool of blood on the bed, with the longer knife in her hand and the other still in her neck.
According to a mental assessment, Sandar suffered from adjustment disorder with a depressed mood at the time of the incident.
In the months before the offence, her anxiety was triggered by her difficulty in coping with her duties, communication issues, and social isolation.
Thus, her mental state impacted her ability to maintain control of her actions.
The deputy public prosecutors asked for 18 to 20 years’ jail, saying the crime was deliberate and breached trust. They also noted that Madam Ang was vulnerable.
On the other hand, the defence said that Sandar’s real age was around 50 years old. She had apparently lied about her age to secure a job in Singapore.
They maintained that this was a “mature age”, and she should be sentenced accordingly. However, the prosecution disagreed, saying she should have known better.
Nevertheless, the defence requested 12 to 15 years in prison, citing Sandar’s early admission of guilt, surrender and her mental condition.
The judge said that there should be protection for domestic workers against employer abuse and vice versa.
He also noted the “social isolation” Sandar faced during the pandemic that prevented her from seeking help, and her hesitation before committing the act.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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