Determined to kill his former girlfriend when she refused to patch things up with him, a 45-year-old man doused her with petrol and set her ablaze with a lighter at her aunt's Sengkang flat.

Ms Mary Yoong Mei Ling, 43, who suffered burns on 75 per cent of her body, died in hospital 12 hours later from the extensive injuries. On Monday, Lim Ghim Peow pleaded guilty in the High Court to a charge of culpable homicide for the May 2012 killing. He will be sentenced on Jan 27.

Lim, a taxi driver who also ran a gambling den, had a tumultuous relationship with Ms Yoong, who was once jailed in China for human trafficking. Both divorcees, they started living together in 2008. But the relationship started to break down when Lim became increasingly possessive. After she broke up with him in 2011, he persistently begged her for a reconciliation but she refused. Lim, who was suffering from a major depressive disorder, then decided to burn her to death and then set himself on fire.