Man who suffered from delusions that family was out to harm him admits to fatally slashing wife

A retired aircraft technician fatally slashed his wife of 36 years with a knife and chopper after developing delusions that his family was trying to harm him. 

Kong Peng Yee, 69, pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide by slashing Madam Wong Chik Yeok’s head with a knife first and subsequently, a chopper in their Sengkang home on March 13, 2016. 

Kong told the police he had made a pre-emptive strike as his mind told him to ‘make sure she die’ and that he was ‘happy’ on realising that she was dead, reports The Straits Times. 

The initial charge of murder was reduced after a psychiatric assessment by Dr Kenneth Koh from the Institute of Mental Health found that his actions and mental responsibility had been impaired by psychotic delusions. 

Dr Koh’s report from April 2016 deduced that Kong’s psychotic state could have stemmed from severe depression following mild physical impairments after an eye surgery. 

A later report in May 2017 said that Kong had a ‘brieft psychotic episode’ at the time. 

He was treated for the psychiatric disorder in prison, and no longer suffers from the delusions. 

During the time of the incident, Kong and his wife, 63, lived with their younger daughter Yanni, 27, while their older daughter, Annie, 36, did not stay with them.

In January 2016, Kong had a cataract surgery.

He later came to associate other conditions, such as constipation, weakened knees, and insomnia with the surgery or diet.

On March 12, 2017, Kong and Madam Wong stayed at Annie’s place for the night.

He reportedly told her to take care of Yanni if he was not around.

He also told her that he did not think that she was his biological daughter. 

Kong started behaving in an abnormal manner during church service the following day.

When service concluded, Annie drove her parents home and left to meet Yanni.

Kong then took a nap.

He later claimed that he woke up to roaring sounds.

He subsequently went to the kitchen, took a knife and stabbed his wife in the back while she was folding clothes in the living room.

Kong continued stabbing her in the front after that, and at one point, the knife fell to the floor.

Next, he went to retrieve a chopper from the kitchen and continued his attack, only stopping upon realising that she was dead. 

He then called Yanni but she missed his call, prompting him to call his younger sister instead. 

Kong told her that he had killed his wife and to call the police.

He also told her to distribute his money to his daughters. 

Yanni later called Kong back, and he told her that he had ‘killed mummy’.

She told him not to sprout nonsense, but he said:

“Already killed.”

When police officers arrived at the flat with Yanni and Annie, they found Kong sitting on the sofa in blood stain clothes, while Madam Wong lay motionless on the floor. 

An autopsy report noted that Madam Wong bled to death from multiple slash wounds to her head, and she suffered 189 injuries, including knife wounds and bruises, mostly on her head and neck.

Kong told officers that he believed that his family would abandon him if he was unwell and that Annie had reconciled with her ‘biological’ parents.

He added that he struck first because his family wanted him dead. 

Sentencing has been adjourned after Justice Choo Han Teck said he would like to consult Dr Koh on some questions.

The prosecution sought at least nine years’ jail, while the defence has asked for five.