Man charged with killing daughter, 2, on Father's Day

Above: Johnboy John Teo is accused of killing his two-year-old daughter Ashley Clare Teo. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

A 35-year-old man was charged with murdering his two-year-old daughter in a Sengkang flat on Father's Day.

Johnboy John Teo, who was handed the charge in hospital yesterday, is accused of killing Ashley Clare Teo at their home on the 11th storey of Block 163B Rivervale Crescent on Sunday evening.

Police were alerted to the case just before 10.30pm, and officers found the girl lying motionless in a bedroom. Teo was found in the same room with injuries, though no further details were given about them in court documents.

The police said Teo and Ashley were taken to Sengkang General Hospital, where Ashley was pronounced dead just before 12.30am on Monday.

Teo's case has been adjourned until July 9. If convicted of murder, he will face the death penalty.

When interviewed on Monday night, a next-door neighbour told The Straits Times that he did not notice any commotion or hear any loud noises earlier on Sunday.

He added that he saw Teo's former wife, her mother and Teo's father turning up outside the flat around 11pm on Sunday.

Several police officers arrived at the scene later, after which the flat was broken into for investigators to enter.

According to Chinese language newspaper Shin Min Daily News, Teo is divorced from his former wife, Ms Eileen Cheok, who gained custody of Ashley in March. She moved out of the marital home with their daughter about a month ago.

She told the Chinese paper that she last saw Ashley on Saturday afternoon, and Teo had visiting rights to Ashley on Sunday.

Teo was supposed to take Ashley back to Ms Cheok on Sunday evening, but when he failed to do so, Ms Cheok and her family called the police.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 19, 2019, with the headline Man charged with killing daughter, 2, on Father's Day. Subscribe