Appeal court upholds murder conviction of maid who got life term

The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the murder conviction of an Indonesian domestic worker who was sentenced to life imprisonment last year for stabbing and slashing her employer more than 90 times in 2016.

The three-judge court dismissed the appeal of 29-year-old Daryati, whose lawyer argued she should be convicted of culpable homicide instead of murder, as she was suffering from persistent depressive disorder, which diminished her responsibility for her actions.

Daryati killed Madam Seow Kim Choo, 59, at her Telok Kurau house on June 7, 2016, after the employer foiled the maid's plan to get back her passport and steal money before fleeing to Indonesia.

Madam Seow suffered at least 94 knife wounds, most of which were on her head and neck.

Yesterday, Mr Leon Koh, representing Daryati on a pro bono basis, argued that it was "not normal" for the maid to have knifed her employer so many times, considering that she was treated well by the family, and that her actions were due to her mental disorder.

But the judges noted during the appeal hearing that the context cannot be ignored - Daryati's attack was spurred by anger because her elaborate plan had gone awry.

The apex court affirmed the lower court's finding that the defence's psychiatric report was not corroborated by independent facts and that the diagnostic criteria for the disorder were not met.

Justice Andrew Phang, delivering the apex court's decision, said there was clear evidence that Daryati did not experience any functional impairment during her time in Indonesia or in Singapore.

By her own account, she could handle her job scope and was able to complete her assigned chores.

"In addition, the substantial degree of plotting on the part of the appellant displayed her ability to plan ahead and reason clearly," said Justice Phang.

"In the course of formulating her plan to steal money, retrieve her passport and escape, she drew a map detailing a layout of the house, enlisted the help of (another maid who worked for the family) and put much thought into choosing the most opportune moment to strike."

Justice Phang said the opinions of defence psychiatrist Tommy Tan were not supported by the evidence. Dr Tan cited weight loss as a symptom of Daryati's disorder, but the objective evidence showed she lost only 0.5kg between the time she arrived in Singapore and the time she was assessed in hospital after the murder.

Daryati originally faced a charge of killing with the intention to cause death, which carries the mandatory death penalty.

Part-way through the trial, the prosecution reduced the charge to murder under Section 300(c), which carries life imprisonment.

Daryati was first convicted of the lesser murder charge in April 2020. She then changed her mind and sought to further reduce the charge to culpable homicide. The trial continued and she was convicted a second time last April.