Married man who slashed, stabbed ex-lover’s new boyfriend pleads guilty to attempted murder

SINGAPORE – A 60-year-old married man, who pestered his former lover after she broke up with him, stabbed and slashed her new boyfriend in a jealous rage at a Choa Chu Kang void deck in June 2021.

After knifing the 52-year-old man, Ong Eng Siew assaulted his 42-year-old former lover.

Ong then fled the scene before sending his former lover numerous voice messages asking her and her new beau not to call the police, saying that it was “all her fault”.

On Jan 23, Ong, now 64, pleaded guilty in the High Court to a

charge of attempted murder

and a charge of voluntarily causing hurt.

Another three charges – two for causing hurt and one for obstructing the course of justice – will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.

An ancillary hearing is being held to determine whether Ong’s psychiatric disorder had contributed to his actions, which could have a bearing on his sentence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu told the court that Ong, a father of three, had been in a relationship with a woman identified in court only as “Berlin” for 1½ years from November 2019.

The woman found out in September 2020 that he was married and confronted him, but he lied that he was separated from his wife.

In January 2021, Ong started drinking excessively and spending most of his salary as a driver betting on horses.

In April that year, the woman told him that she wanted to end their relationship, as he continued to gamble, hardly met her and forgot her birthday.

He continued to send her text messages and asked her for another chance, but she turned him down.

Around this time, she started a relationship with Mr Ku Teck Eng.

From May 2021, Ong pestered the woman with text messages and phone calls while drunk, and also looked for her on four occasions. 

Once, after she declined to reconcile with him, he shouted in Mandarin: “Do you believe that I can treat you not as a woman and beat you, take a knife and stab you? Do not force me to do it.” 

He then laughed and claimed this was a joke.

Another time, while they were in his van, Ong told her that he would let her go if she came clean about her new boyfriend.

After she admitted that she was in a new relationship, he became upset and said that he wanted to die with her.

When she tried to leave the van, he slammed her head against the vehicle, pushed her back into the passenger seat and drove around while punching her.

She lodged a police report against him over the assault.

Ong continued sending messages to her. When she blocked him on WhatsApp, he sent her e-mails, declaring his love for her.

On June 12 that year, Ong drank beer from noon to 8pm.

He then headed to her home at Block 407 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3, carrying a knife.

At the void deck, he placed the knife by a dustbin and waited. 

At about 9.25pm, when the woman and Mr Ku arrived, Ong approached Mr Ku and asked if he was aware that she was “his woman”.

Mr Ku replied that he and the woman got together only after she had broken up with Ong. 

Ong then took the knife from the corner of the bin, walked towards Mr Ku, and shouted in Hokkien: “I will make sure you die.”

He slashed Mr Ku’s left shoulder and advanced as the bleeding victim tripped and fell while trying to back away.

As Mr Ku lay on the grass, Ong stabbed him in the chest and slashed him in the abdomen.

When the woman tried to stop him, Ong pushed her, causing her to fall into a drain. He also punched her in the shoulder.

Mr Ku escaped to a nearby provision shop to seek help. Residents shouted at Ong and called the police. As he fled the scene, Ong threw the knife into a drain near the block.

It was previously reported that he was arrested within two hours of the incident.

Mr Ku underwent two operations and was hospitalised for nine days.

A report from the Health Sciences Authority said that the stab wound on his chest would have been fatal without emergency medical intervention.

The report added that the wound to his abdomen caused part of the bowel to protrude out, which could lead to death from infection without surgical intervention.

After his arrest, Ong was diagnosed with adjustment disorder owing to his relationship break-up and social problems. He is defended by Mr Eugene Thuraisingam.

Those found guilty of attempted murder can be jailed for life and caned. Alternatively, they can be jailed for up to 20 years, and also caned or fined, or both.

Ong cannot be caned as he is above 50.