SINGAPORE - A 54-year-old woman was charged on Monday (Oct 28) with the murder of a 63-year-old man, believed to be her husband.

The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday and was the first of two murder cases that day.

Appearing handcuffed and in a red polo T-shirt and dark shorts at the State Courts, Chinese national Wang Shuzhen was accused of killing Mr Teh Hock Pine some time between 5am and 6.02am.

She will be back in court on Nov 18, following a three-week psychiatric assessment at Changi Prison. Police said they had responded to a case of unnatural death at Block 633 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at 5.46am on Sunday.

Mr Teh was pronounced dead by paramedics and Wang was arrested at the scene.

While court papers did not state how Mr Teh was killed, Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that he had been stabbed.

Mr Teh was a former policeman.

However, it is not known when he left the force.

In 2000, he held the rank of senior staff sergeant and received the Long Service Medal at the National Day Awards that year, a list on the website of the Prime Minister's Office showed.

When The Straits Times visited the scene at 9.30am on Sunday, a trail of bloody footprints was seen leading out from the third-floor unit into the common corridor.

The area outside the unit as well as the staircase leading up to the flat had been cordoned off.

According to housing records, the unit was owned by Mr Teh.

A 60-year-old neighbour said he had heard repeated "drum-like banging" coming from the flat around 5am on Sunday.

Neighbours also told ST that the couple had been living there for about two years.

They were often seen going to the hawker centre together and were also seen pushing a stroller with a toddler around the estate.

Lianhe Wanbao reported that the couple lived in the flat with their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.