SINGAPORE, Nov 28 — A man pled guilty to attempted murder after his lover ended their extramarital affair, leading to a violent attack that left her permanently scarred.
Chong Shiong Hui, 43, admitted to the charge in court today, with two additional charges of mischief being considered for sentencing, Singapore-based news outlet Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.
The prosecution is seeking 16 to 18 years in prison, along with five to six strokes of the cane, while the defence has asked for 10 years’ imprisonment and five strokes.
Singapore law provides for a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail, and a fine or caning, or both on those found guilty of attempted murder.
According to CNA, Chong dated Joey Lee briefly 20 years ago, and the duo reconnected in 2017 while both were married.
Lee decided to end it a year after her husband discovered their affair in November 2018, telling Chong she wanted a “break”.
Over the next few days, Chong reportedly told the mother of one that he would make her “a widow.”
On the morning of November 30, 2019, an inebriated Chong took a chopper, two tins of petrol, and a lighter to Lee’s home, deflating the tyres of her husband’s cars to prevent the latter from following.
He also cut the power to Lee’s apartment and sent her threatening messages, including a photo of the chopper and petrol.
Things took a drastic turn that afternoon when Lee arranged to meet Chong at his parents’ house when the man, armed with a chopper, dragged her into the compound, trapping her as the gate automatically locked.
“The accused told her ‘let’s die together’ in Mandarin, prompting the victim to say that she did not want to die with him,” the prosecution was quoted telling the court.
According to the court narrative, Chong attacked Lee with his blade and only stopped when his 72-year-old mother showed up.
Chong confessed to being the assailant when police turned up at the scene and arrested him.
Lee was hospitalised for two months, and permanently scarred on her back, scalp, ear, neck and around her eye, and now has trauma due to flashbacks of the attack.
The prosecution said Chong did not have substance use disorders and was not of unsound mind, and argued that the crime was highly premeditated.
“The accused lured the victim to his parents’ house, laid out the weapons in anticipation of her arrival, and closed the gates behind the victim to create a death-trap.
“He even resolved to get a better grip on the handles of the kitchen knife and the chopper by wearing a glove.”
But Chong’s lawyer countered that he had been driven by an “intense emotion of betrayal” though he has finally “fully accepted” that his relationship with Lee is over.
“This man before your honour today is deeply remorseful for this action ... he is ashamed for disappointing his family and knows he must pay the price for his actions,” the defence Joyce Khoo told the court, adding that Chong has not seen his son since the day of the attack five years ago when the child was eight years old.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 6.
