3 years’ jail for maid whose assault left elderly woman with mild dementia bedridden
Even after Sandar Aye was arrested, she said that the elderly woman fell and hit her head against a wall while trying to push Sandar away.
- Sandar Aye pushed, slapped and scolded the 92-year-old woman
- The victim was bedridden until her death from unrelated causes
- Sandar lied to the victim’s son that the old woman had fallen backwards
SINGAPORE — A domestic helper hired to take care of a 92-year-old woman with mild dementia pushed her so forcibly that she hit her head against a wall.
Sandar Aye, 33, then yanked her up by the arm and slapped her several times.
She later lied to the elderly woman’s son that she had fallen at home, before telling the police that the victim had pushed her first.
The Myanmar national was on Thursday (Aug 13) sentenced to three years’ jail.
She pleaded guilty last month to causing grievous hurt to Wong Yong.
The assault left the elderly woman bedridden. She died from unrelated causes about four months later.
The incident happened on Sept 5 last year at a flat, the court heard. Only Sandar and Wong lived there at the time.
Sandar’s actions were captured by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the flat.
That evening, Wong pointed at the maid and spoke to her, but things soon took an unpleasant turn.
Sandar suddenly approached the elderly woman and stood close to her before pushing her lightly. The maid then raised her right fist in a threatening manner.
In response, Wong retreated.
Sandar then pushed her on the chest, causing her to fall and hit her head.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Phoebe Tan said that the maid walked away before pulling Wong up from the ground to a sitting position by forcibly yanking her arm.
Sandar continued to behave belligerently towards the elderly woman by grabbing her forearms and speaking close to her face, said DPP Tan.
When Wong struggled and grabbed Sandar’s forearms, she slapped Wong’s face several times, pointed a finger at her and scolded her.
MAID TOLD SON THAT HIS MOTHER FELL
Sandar later called Wong’s son on the phone and said the elderly woman had fallen.
He told her that he would drop by later because he was at work. During this time, Wong dragged herself across the floor into her bedroom.
When her son arrived two hours later, he saw that his mother was asleep and did not want to wake her.
Sandar repeated her lie that the elderly woman had fallen backwards in the living room.
The next morning, he visited the flat again and saw one of his mother’s legs raised on a chair in the living room. Sandar did not respond when he asked her why.
After discovering that Wong could not move her head and legs, and was in pain, he took her to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
She suffered multiple fractures, including pubic and spinal ones, causing her to be bedridden.
She remained in this state until she died in a nursing home on Jan 2 this year from unrelated causes.
The cause of her injuries came to light only after Wong’s daughter reviewed the CCTV footage three days after the assault and made a police report.
Even after Sandar was arrested, she continued to disavow responsibility for Wong’s injuries.
She claimed that the victim fell and hit her head against the wall while trying to push Sandar away. After the police told her that she had pushed Wong, she claimed she had acted in self-defence to prevent Wong from assaulting her.
The police took Sandar to TTSH’s emergency department, where doctors found scratch marks on her arms and a bruise on her thigh.
For causing grievous hurt, she could have been jailed up to seven years and fined. The offence carries the possibility of caning, but women cannot be caned by law.
