Woman jailed for six months for threatening to cause mum's death

SINGAPORE - An unemployed woman who tried to cause her mother's death at the fifth floor of a hotel was jailed for six months on Wednesday.

Tina Goh, 43, had admitted to grabbing the leg of her 65-year-old mother, Madam Chen Tong Siew, and trying to lift her over the railing along the common corridor at Level 5 of Village Hotel Changi on Oct 17 last year.

According to her lawyer, she owed a substantial amount of debt to unlicensed moneylenders and wanted to kill her mother and then commit suicide.

The court was told that Goh checked into the hotel with her mother on Oct 15 and were supposed to check out two days later.

After breakfast on Oct 17, they were walking along the common corridor on the fifth floor when Goh suddenly pointed to one of the rooms at the other end of the corridor.

When the victim turned and looked, Goh grabbed one of her legs, and tried to lift the victim over the railing, with the intent to cause death to her mother.

The victim struggled to break free and repeatedly shouted "jiu ming'' (Mandarin for help).

The general manager of the hotel heard the commotion and managed to separate them. He then called the police.

Community Court District Judge Mathew Joseph told Goh, who was crying throughout, to seek reconciliation with her mother, undergo treatment and to put the incident behind her.

He said it was a very unfortunate case.

Backdating Goh's sentence to her remand on Oct 18 last year, he took into consideration that Goh, who has not seen her mother since she was in custody, had an underlying diagnosed illness - adjustment disorder.

Goh's elder sister will make arrangements to house her upon her release.

Goh, who is divorced, could have been jailed for up to seven years or more for criminal intimidation.

elena@sph.com.sg

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