SINGAPORE – A 65-year-old man was arrested and will be charged with the murder of his neighbour, a 43-year-old woman, who was found lying motionless in a flat in Bukit Batok on the morning of Jan 6.

The woman’s son, a five-year-old boy, was injured and taken conscious to the National University Hospital.

The police said in a statement in the afternoon on Jan 6 that they received a call for assistance at about 8.20am. The woman they found in the flat at Block 460B, Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

The man was arrested at the scene, the police said.

When The Straits Times arrived at the block at about 11am, at least four police vehicles, including a crime scene investigation van, were parked at the foot of the block.

Uniformed and plainclothes police officers had cordoned off the corridor leading up to the second-floor unit. 

At about 11.30am, a man covered in full white protective gear which went up to his head was escorted to a police car. ST understands that this is typically done to preserve forensic evidence.

Police officers were reviewing video footage in the police equipment room at the void deck.

The area surrounding the block, including the void deck and public walkway, was cordoned off by police tape.

Neighbours told the media on Jan 6 that the man had frequently argued with the victim over noise for a few years, with the police being called several times. A neighbour on the same floor said these disagreements had become more intense in the past year, with the most recent incident taking place in December 2023.

Neighbours also said the altercations typically arose because the man, whose flat was directly opposite the victim’s, had a habit of opening and shutting the riser cabinets outside his flat noisily.

At about 2.15pm, plainclothes police officers were seen going through the rubbish at the block’s bin centre with a metal rod. A knife, believed to have been used in the incident, was seized, the police said.

The man will be charged in court on Jan 7 with murder, which carries the death penalty.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In response to queries from ST, MP for Hong Kah North Amy Khor said: “I am deeply saddened by the incident. My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, and my prayers especially to the child who has been hurt.

“My grassroots (team) and I will find out how we can be of assistance to those who have been affected and provide support.”

Arguments between neighbours over noise have been an ongoing issue, with the monthly average number of such complaints made to the Housing Board growing from 400 in 2019 to 3,200 in 2021.

This number decreased to 2,300 in 2022.

During the debate on the Law Ministry’s budget in 2023, MPs discussed the need to make mediation between neighbours mandatory in noise disputes, as well as in disputes that have resurfaced after mediation, and those in which parties want to file a claim with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals.

Key events

8.20 - 8.25am: The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force receive calls for assistance at Block 460B Bukit Batok West Avenue 9.

A woman, 43, is found unconscious inside a second-floor unit and pronounced dead. Her son, five, is taken to the National University Hospital.

11am: At least four police vehicles are on scene when The Straits Times arrives. A cordon is already put up, from the corridor on the second floor to the unit.

11.30am: A man is escorted to a police car, dressed in full-body protective gear to preserve forensic evidence.

1.30pm: Police officers and Singapore Casket workers carry the woman’s body to a police hearse.

2.15pm: Police officers are seen inspecting rubbish in the block’s bin centre with a metal rod. Police say later that a knife has been seized.

4.45pm: The police say a 65-year-old man will be charged for the murder of his neighbour, a 43-year-old woman.

5.16pm: Hong Kah North SMC MP Amy Khor arrives at the block.