SINGAPORE, Oct 21 — Little Trevor Neo was a cheerful baby who rarely cried, loved being carried and always wanted someone to hug him.

But behind closed doors, the eight-month-old was being shaken, smothered and beaten by the very parents he depended on for love and protection.

Now, as his parents face lengthy jail terms over his death, Trevor’s grandmother and aunt have recalled the smiling little boy they adored — and their disbelief that his father could have subjected him to such cruelty.

“He always wanted people to hug him,” his aunt told The Straits Times after the couple were sentenced at Singapore’s High Court today.

Trevor’s father, Neo Jia Ming, 27, was jailed for 16 years, while his mother, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, received 15 years and three months over the abuse and death of their son in September 2024.

The couple had pleaded guilty on October 12 to charges arising from the abuse. Neo also admitted to repeatedly assaulting his wife.

For his family, the revelations have shattered their image of a hardworking young father who juggled jobs to support his wife and child.

“It doesn’t seem like what my brother would do. Till now, I’m still not able to accept it,” Neo’s 29-year-old sister said.

His 64-year-old mother, who gave her surname as Koh, said she had encouraged him to marry Gan after learning of her pregnancy because she believed he should take responsibility for the baby.

The young couple even researched parenting before Trevor’s arrival.

Neo worked as a food delivery rider and pet groomer, while Gan was also a pet groomer before leaving her job after giving birth.

His elder sister occasionally helped with milk powder, diapers and money, but otherwise believed her brother was managing his responsibilities.

At family dinners, neither parent gave any indication that anything was seriously wrong.

“They only said they were tired,” Koh recalled.

Koh, who works at a coffeeshop in Hougang, said she rarely saw her grandson because of conflicting work schedules.

But her memories of Trevor remain vivid.

“He was very obedient and always smiled. He never cried. He had a face like a ‘big biscuit’,” she said in Mandarin.

Koh said she had bathed Trevor a few weeks before his death and noticed neither bruises nor anything unusual about his condition.

The family also had no reason to suspect Gan was being abused.

The couple appeared inseparable, with Neo’s sister recalling that her brother doted on his wife and even saved money to leave Trevor with a nanny so they could take short holidays together.

But court documents revealed a very different relationship.

Between February and August 2024, Neo repeatedly assaulted Gan, including punching her at an arcade because she had played a game without him.

On another occasion, he punched her at a bus stop after she accidentally led them onto the wrong bus.

Trevor, meanwhile, endured repeated abuse, with his parents shaking him and covering his mouth and nose to stop him from crying.

Gan struck the baby on numerous occasions, while Neo slapped his son, dug his fingers into the child’s mouth and hit him.

He also repeatedly pinched Trevor’s fingers to provoke a reaction, which he found amusing.

The couple exchanged messages discussing the abuse and even joked about the possibility that shaking the baby could cause brain damage.

The violence culminated on September 1, 2024, when Gan smothered Trevor, struck him in the face and placed him face down on a mattress.

The infant was pronounced dead at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital shortly after midnight on September 2. Both parents were arrested after hospital staff alerted police.

For Trevor’s grandmother, what remains is the memory of a smiling little boy who loved being carried.

“He was very obedient and always smiled. He never cried. He had a face like a ‘big biscuit’,” she recalled.