By: Kheng-Liang Tan
Upset at being embarassed in front of his friends, a 23 year-old man stabbed his elder brother 22 times on 13 Apr last year after an argument. For his act, Ng Yao Wei was jailed for 7 years’ today (19 Sep).
Ng had shared a room with his elder brother Yao Cheng when he invited two friends over on 12 Apr to play computer games.
The elder Ng was unhappy with the noise that they made and they exchanged blows after an argument until their father intervened. The next day, Ng confronted his brother again. This provoked the elder Ng, who lunged at him and called him an “asshole”.
Ng then retailated by taking a 20cm knife that he had hidden under his pillow before stabbing his brother. The Police were called at about 11pm where his brother was found dead with stab wounds in his neck and body.
He was initially charged for murder but this was reduced to culpable homicide after being diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
The prosecution asked for 10 years’ imprisonment. However, His lawyer Mr Josephus Tan asked for jail of not more than 7 years, saying that he had been subjected to continuous abuse by his brother since young.
The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.