SINGAPORE, Oct 5 — Unaware that her husband had lost his job and believing that he was late for work, Tang Shifang pulled Lee Show Fui’s ear and slapped him on the cheek after she saw him playing a computer game.
This angered Lee, 33, who retaliated with kicks and punches that left her with multiple injuries, including collapsed lungs, a ruptured kidney and massive internal bleeding. Tang, 37, died later from her injuries.
Lee was yesterday jailed for five years by a High Court judge for the killing on Aug 31, 2011. Originally charged with Tang’s murder, he pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The court heard that after the fight, Lee asked Tang, who was curled up on the floor, if she needed medical attention. However, she tried to poke him in the eye. He became furious and punched and kicked her a few times.
He also tied her wrists and ankles together with wire and raffia string and taped her mouth. When Lee asked her if she needed an ambulance, she scolded him. He then removed the tape and untied his wife, who again rejected his offer to call an ambulance.
Lee then fried some rice for her but she did not want it. He also applied some ointment on her hands, legs and stomach.
After taking a bath, eating the fried rice and resuming his game, Lee realised that Tang had stopped moving, did not have a pulse and was not breathing. He applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 20 minutes before calling an ambulance.
Justice Woo Bih Li who presided over the hearing said that he had taken into account circumstances that led to the tragedy.
“(At the) end of the day, you’ve taken her life and no one should be entitled to think that he can retaliate with violence just because (his) wife started the provocation. See the unfortunate circumstances? One life is lost and as for you, you’ve to go to prison for sometime,” he told Lee. — Today.
