Warning: This report contains references to suicide.
SINGAPORE: A teenager who was sentenced to 16 years in jail for killing his schoolmate with an axe at River Valley High School turned to the Court of Appeal on Monday (Jul 1) to seek a shorter prison term.
After hearing arguments for a full morning, the panel of three judges said they would take time to consider and would issue full findings in due course.
The young man, who turned 19 this year, cannot be named as he committed the offence when he was under the age of 18 and is protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.
He was 16 when he attacked 13-year-old Ethan Hun Zhe Kai in a school toilet on Jul 19, 2021.
The appellant was sentenced in December 2023 for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
At the Court of Appeal on Monday, he appeared in a white shirt, sported a buzz cut and had a sombre look on his face throughout proceedings.
His lawyers, Mr Sunil Sudheesan and Ms Joyce Khoo from Quaho Woo & Palmer, argued for his jail term of 16 years to be reduced to eight to 10 years instead.
Mr Sudheesan described the sentence as manifestly excessive and centred his arguments around his client's depression, which had resulted in two suicide attempts before the incident.
The lawyer said the teenager's decision on the day of the incident was "an irrational solution to his intention of suicide".
While some plan suicides around certain methods, the teenager's plan was to be killed by the police after the attack as he felt he was unable to take his own life, said Mr Sudheesan.
The appeal was heard by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Justices Woo Bih Li and Belinda Ang.
A police car leaves River Valley High School on Jul 19, 2021. (Photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)
Chief Justice Menon told Mr Sudheesan that he was "struggling" with the lawyer's case, as the narrative of what happened, according to the statement of facts (SOF) the teen pleaded guilty to, did not quite fit.
According to the SOF, the teen waited for students to leave, before preparing the toilet and waiting for someone to enter.
After the victim - a random target - entered, the teenager put up tape to stop others from entering and proceeded to kill the boy.
"I mean that whole set of sequence of events does not suggest a picture of someone who was hoping to be confronted and apprehended and stopped," said the Chief Justice.
"On the contrary, it presents a picture of someone who was thinking about how to complete the act of killing, and it seems very much targeted at his plan towards taking the life of the victim, rather than anything to do putting himself in the way of law enforcement."
Flowers are seen outside River Valley High School on Jul 20, 2021. (Photo: CNA/Tan Si Hui)
Chief Justice Menon pointed out a second issue that he found "rather troubling".
According to court documents, the teenager claimed he felt "catharsis and regret" after attacking the victim, and he decided to stop his plan of killing more people.
While the Chief Justice said it was "completely tragic" that a young person should feel that way in wanting to take his own life, he said he struggled to see what it was about his mental illness that was mitigating for his case.
In response, Mr Sudheesan explained that his client's plan to end his life was to kill someone in school and have the police kill him - therefore the steps taken to kill the victim were deliberate as planned.
However, after he killed the boy and saw how he died, he felt "catharsis and regret" and decided to stop his further plan of killing more people, said the lawyer.
As to the harm caused to the victim, the lawyer said he hated to use the term, but it was "collateral damage", and that the "poor victim was at the wrong place at the wrong time".
The defence lawyers said the teenager has been receiving treatment by taking anti-depressants daily since September 2021, with the dosage reduced after November 2022.
He also received psychotherapy sessions, attends religious fellowship and has religious counselling with a pastor, converting to Christianity while remanded.
His depression has been in remission since September 2022, a fact confirmed in June 2023, with no relapses since.
Mr Sudheesan said his client felt extremely remorseful for his actions, understanding that he has caused irreparable harm to Ethan's family.
He has expressed his remorse in a letter to Ethan's family.
Where to get help:
Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
You can also find a list of international helplines here. If someone you know is at immediate risk, call 24-hour emergency medical services.
Continue reading...
SINGAPORE: A teenager who was sentenced to 16 years in jail for killing his schoolmate with an axe at River Valley High School turned to the Court of Appeal on Monday (Jul 1) to seek a shorter prison term.
After hearing arguments for a full morning, the panel of three judges said they would take time to consider and would issue full findings in due course.
The young man, who turned 19 this year, cannot be named as he committed the offence when he was under the age of 18 and is protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.
He was 16 when he attacked 13-year-old Ethan Hun Zhe Kai in a school toilet on Jul 19, 2021.
The appellant was sentenced in December 2023 for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
At the Court of Appeal on Monday, he appeared in a white shirt, sported a buzz cut and had a sombre look on his face throughout proceedings.
His lawyers, Mr Sunil Sudheesan and Ms Joyce Khoo from Quaho Woo & Palmer, argued for his jail term of 16 years to be reduced to eight to 10 years instead.
Mr Sudheesan described the sentence as manifestly excessive and centred his arguments around his client's depression, which had resulted in two suicide attempts before the incident.
The lawyer said the teenager's decision on the day of the incident was "an irrational solution to his intention of suicide".
While some plan suicides around certain methods, the teenager's plan was to be killed by the police after the attack as he felt he was unable to take his own life, said Mr Sudheesan.
The appeal was heard by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Justices Woo Bih Li and Belinda Ang.
A police car leaves River Valley High School on Jul 19, 2021. (Photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)
CHIEF JUSTICE'S ISSUES WITH THE DEFENCE'S CASE
Chief Justice Menon told Mr Sudheesan that he was "struggling" with the lawyer's case, as the narrative of what happened, according to the statement of facts (SOF) the teen pleaded guilty to, did not quite fit.
According to the SOF, the teen waited for students to leave, before preparing the toilet and waiting for someone to enter.
After the victim - a random target - entered, the teenager put up tape to stop others from entering and proceeded to kill the boy.
"I mean that whole set of sequence of events does not suggest a picture of someone who was hoping to be confronted and apprehended and stopped," said the Chief Justice.
"On the contrary, it presents a picture of someone who was thinking about how to complete the act of killing, and it seems very much targeted at his plan towards taking the life of the victim, rather than anything to do putting himself in the way of law enforcement."
Flowers are seen outside River Valley High School on Jul 20, 2021. (Photo: CNA/Tan Si Hui)
Chief Justice Menon pointed out a second issue that he found "rather troubling".
According to court documents, the teenager claimed he felt "catharsis and regret" after attacking the victim, and he decided to stop his plan of killing more people.
While the Chief Justice said it was "completely tragic" that a young person should feel that way in wanting to take his own life, he said he struggled to see what it was about his mental illness that was mitigating for his case.
In response, Mr Sudheesan explained that his client's plan to end his life was to kill someone in school and have the police kill him - therefore the steps taken to kill the victim were deliberate as planned.
However, after he killed the boy and saw how he died, he felt "catharsis and regret" and decided to stop his further plan of killing more people, said the lawyer.
As to the harm caused to the victim, the lawyer said he hated to use the term, but it was "collateral damage", and that the "poor victim was at the wrong place at the wrong time".
The defence lawyers said the teenager has been receiving treatment by taking anti-depressants daily since September 2021, with the dosage reduced after November 2022.
He also received psychotherapy sessions, attends religious fellowship and has religious counselling with a pastor, converting to Christianity while remanded.
His depression has been in remission since September 2022, a fact confirmed in June 2023, with no relapses since.
Mr Sudheesan said his client felt extremely remorseful for his actions, understanding that he has caused irreparable harm to Ethan's family.
He has expressed his remorse in a letter to Ethan's family.
Where to get help:
Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
You can also find a list of international helplines here. If someone you know is at immediate risk, call 24-hour emergency medical services.
Continue reading...