Domestic worker jailed 15 years for killing 77-year-old retiree
SINGAPORE — A domestic worker who had her charge reduced from murder to culpable homicide was sentenced on Monday (April 23) to 15 years' jail for stabbing her 77-year-old employer.
In a case that made news headlines in February last year, Minah — an Indonesian who goes by one name — killed Madam Tay Quee Lang and lied to the police that the older woman had committed suicide.
The 38-year-old had just started work for a month at Madam Tay's household when the incident happened. She was upset that the retiree was nagging at her for taking a long time to finish her meal.
Deputy public prosecutors Bhajanvir Singh and Goh Yi Ling said that the attack was "unprovoked and unwarranted", "deliberate" and "perpetrated upon a vulnerable and defenceless victim". They asked for the 15-year jail term given Minah's "high culpability".
The High Court heard that Madam Tay suffered a fall in December 2016 and did not even have the strength to hold up a cup. She needed a walking aid and help from others to move her around.
Minah was hired to be her main caregiver in January last year, helping her with daily tasks such as eating, bathing and going to the toilet.
In the afternoon of Feb 13 last year, Madam Tay was alone with Minah in her Tampines home after her husband Tan Hee Seng, 78, also a retiree, went for a medical appointment.
Minah started having her lunch in the kitchen when Mr Tan left. Madam Tay, who was seated in the living room, called out to her some time later and scolded her for taking a long time to eat and for using her mobile phone during her meal.
Minah attended to her and then returned to her meal in the kitchen. A while later, Madam Tay called out to her again, repeating her complaint. Minah went to attend to Madam Tay, ignored the complaint and returned to the kitchen.
This went on, with the two raising their voices at each other while they were in different rooms.
Madam Tay called out to Minah for a fourth time as she was washing the plates and they continued to shout at each other.
In a bid to shut her up, Minah took a knife with a 22cm blade from the kitchen counter and walked towards Madam Tay, who was still nagging at her.
Seeing the knife, Madam Tay told her that she was not afraid and carried on nagging, telling Minah that she was dissatisfied with her work as she was always talking on her mobile phone.
Minah took small steps towards Madam Tay until the knife's pointed edge was only inches away from the retiree's chest, near her throat.
Madam Tay grabbed Minah's hands and tried to push the knife away, but Minah only gripped the knife's handle more tightly and then stabbed her in the throat.
After that, she went to the kitchen sink to wash off the blood on her fingernails before calling the old woman's daughter.
A neighbour, 28-year-old Muhammad Ashaari Hasan Basri, walked by their gate later and saw Minah crying, murmuring "tolong tolong" ("help" in Malay) repeatedly and pacing around the living room.
Mr Ashaari called the police at 2.10pm when he saw the knife lodged in Madam Tay's throat.
An autopsy found that Madam Tay bled to death from the deep stab wound, which reached the top of her left lung.
A psychiatric report dated March 20 last year showed that Minah was not suffering from mental illness or intellectual disability and was not of unsound mind.
The prosecution highlighted that Madam Tay never used any form of violence or made any threats to Minah before she was killed, adding that the stabbing "is indisputably a monstrous over-reaction".
Court documents showed that Minah's employers generally had a good working relationship with her except for one time, when she shouted at Mr Tan when he told her not to waste water.
Minah attested before that Madam Tay was not too fussy.
When the court hearing ended on Monday, Madam Tay's family members hurled bitter remarks at her when she was led away by guards.
Minah could have been jailed for life, or up to 20 years.
