SINGAPORE, April 16 — A 36-year-old Singaporean man who forcefully pressed a pillow against his adoptive mother’s face, knowing it could kill her, was sentenced today to four years and two months in jail.
Yong Chun Hong, a part-time donation collector, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of performing an act that endangered human life, down from an initial attempted murder charge, according to The Straits Times today.
Yong attacked his 78-year-old adoptive mother after she refused to sell her flat to help pay off his mounting debts, which he had accumulated from frequent visits to a nightspot.
He received about S$45,000 (about RM150,000 today) from his adoptive father’s estate in August 2023 but squandered the funds, spending up to S$1,000 per visit at Club Axis and tipping a performer named “Baby”.
By December 2023, Yong owed the club S$30,000 and resorted to borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders, even giving his mother’s personal information as a guarantor without her consent.
Repeatedly rejected by his mother, Yong began searching online for information about overdoses and death from January 4, 2024.
On January 10, following another argument, he pressed down on her chest and told her she should “sleep and die”, leaving the room soon after.
Six days later, Yong attempted to smother her with a pillow while she was dozing, but she managed to fend him off.
He broke down and begged for forgiveness, but his mother stayed awake in fear the rest of the night.
She later informed a doctor during a polyclinic visit on January 18, prompting police to arrest Yong on January 22.
In court, prosecutors revealed Yong’s desperation had led him to believe he would benefit from her death, as he had no other way to escape his debts.
The defence pleaded for a lighter sentence of three years and two months, arguing the act was not premeditated and highlighting that the victim had forgiven him.
Choking with emotion outside the courtroom, the elderly woman told reporters: “I hope (my son) will change when he’s released.”
