Wheelchair user falls to death during escape attempt after getting locked in Eunos flat by drug offender

A 62-year-old wheelchair user, Mr Khiong Lam Swee, attempted to escape by climbing out of a window after getting trapped by a friend for almost 19 hours in a flat, but tragically fell to his death. 

The incident happened a third-storey flat in Block 22, Eunos Crescent on May 18, 2016, at around 9.40am, reports Lianhe Wanbao via Lianhe Zaobao.

Khiong's friend, a drug user, was convinced that the deceased had sold him out to the authorities, thus locking him up in the flat and refusing to let him go.

The suspect, 57-year-old Ho Chin Hin, was sentenced to jail for nine months on Tuesday (July 25) after pleading guilty to the wrongful confining of the victim.

Ho was arrested by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on May 5, 2016 but was released on bail.

The Straits Times reports that he later met the deceased at Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre on May 17, and the two consumed heroin together in a toilet.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim said that the accused was suspicious that Khiong had provided information on him to the CNB which led to his earlier arrest.

He took Khiong back to his flat at around 12pm on the same day and confronted him, accusing him of being an informant.

Khiong denied the allegations, but the accused said he would not let him leave until he ‘told the truth’. 

When the accused’s younger brother came home about 10 hours later, he wheeled Khiong out of the flat, but the accused quickly wheeled him back inside. 

The younger brother then told the two that he did not want to interfere with their affairs any longer, and declined to help when Khiong asked him at around 5am the next day.

DPP Lim added that the accused was sleeping in his room when he heard a loud thud at around 9.40am.

When he rushed out, he saw Khiong’s wheelchair near a window.

The accused quickly rushed down to the ground floor, where he saw Khiong lying on the ground, and he quickly asked passers-by for assistance.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted and conveyed Khiong to a hospital.

However, he died about 3 hours later, and Ho was arrested on the same day. 

The deceased and accused had been friends for 22 years and first met each other at a drug rehabilitation centre in 1994.

Due to a fall 10 years earlier, Khiong had to depend on crutches or a wheelchair to get around.