A 59-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to eight years in prison on Tuesday (30 June) for strangling his younger brother to death at their flat in Boon Lay.
He had pleaded guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, with the court told that he had suffered from “caregiver stress”, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
At the time of the incident, Abdul Rani Md Ariffin was living in Block 187 Boon Lay Avenue with his 56-year-old younger brother Abdul Rahman Mohamed Ariffin and their two older sisters in their 60s.
After their mother died in 2010, Abdul Rani became the main caregiver for his three siblings, handling their medical appointments and daily necessities.
He slept on the living room sofa while his sisters shared a room and the victim slept in another bedroom. Both brothers were unemployed.
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Abdul Rahman had been diagnosed with depression since 2008 and also suffered from multiple chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.
In January 2025, the victim was hospitalised for an inherited bleeding disorder.
After he was discharged, he began cleaning the flat frequently, but he had a habit of leaving tasks unfinished, leaving clutter around the flat.
Abdul Rani told the court he felt “fed up” with his brother’s behaviour but was accused of being a “busybody” when he confronted the latter.
Sometime between 3am and 4am on 11 March 2025, Abdul Rani heard an argument between one of his sisters and his brother over unfinished cleaning.
He confronted his brother in the bedroom, asking why he kept cleaning, but the latter replied: “I clean as I wish to, lah.”
Abdul Rani then suddenly felt like strangling him, partly because he was concerned over his brother’s condition.
He proceeded to choke his brother multiple times, then strangled him and pressed a cushion over his face.
Afterwards, Abdul Rani did not tell his sister what had happened, though she was sitting in the living room.
Not wanting to implicate her, he returned to his brother’s room, locked the door, and sat on the floor with the body for several hours, according to 8world News.
Source: aradaphotography on Canva. Photo for illustration purposes only.
At about 7am, he left the room and told his sister that he had strangled their brother.
He also called the police and confessed to what he had done.
According to an autopsy, the victim died of “manual compression of the neck and suffocation”.
After a psychiatric evaluation, Abdul Rani was found to be likely suffering from an adjustment disorder at the time of the offence.
The condition affected his ability to understand the wrongfulness of his actions.
He was also experiencing caregiver stress because he was looking after his brother, which made it difficult for him to regulate and express his emotions.
However, he was not of unsound mind, nor was he any danger to himself or to others.
Abdul Rani had also previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia but had been on medication since 2011, with no relapse at the time of the offence.
Source: baramyou0708 on Canva. Photo for illustration purposes only.
Thus, Abdul Rani was said to be suffering from abnormality of mind, qualifying him for diminished responsibility under the Penal Code.
As such, his charge was reduced from murder to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
After he pleaded guilty, prosecutors sought eight to 10 years’ jail, stating that the offence remained grave despite the psychiatric findings.
But his defence lawyer asked for a maximum of eight years, citing brotherly friction and caregiver fatigue in the household.
On Tuesday, High Court Justice Dedar Singh Gill described the case as sad and tragic.
However, it involved an undoubtedly grave offence against a “defenceless family member”, he said.
Abdul Rani was thus sentenced to eight years in prison, backdated to his date of arrest in March 2025.
For culpable homicide not amounting to murder, he could have been sentenced to life imprisonment or for up to 20 years and fined.
He cannot be caned as he is above the age of 50.
Also read: 56-year-old man found dead in Boon Lay flat, 58-year-old brother arrested
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.