Woodlands murder: Suspect remanded for 3 more weeks for psychiatric evaluation

SINGAPORE – The 41-year-old former property agent charged for the murder of his pregnant wife will be further remanded for three weeks for psychiatric evaluation.

Appearing in court on Monday (Feb 13), prosecutors requested for Teo Ghim Heng to be remanded at Complex Medical Centre in Changi Prison for psychiatric evaluation to ascertain if he could appreciate the gravity of his alleged offence. Teo was unrepresented.

Teo was first charged with the murder of Madam Choong Pei Shan – who was six months pregnant with a boy – via videolink on Jan 30.

The 39-year-old’s body and that of her four-year-old daughter Teo Zi Ning were discovered on Jan 28, on the first day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Teo was arrested on that same day. 

Court papers revealed that Teo had allegedly killed Mdm Choong a week earlier on Jan 20, between 8am and 11am, at their sixth-floor flat in Block 629 Woodlands Drive 52.

After Teo was first charged on Jan 30, he appeared in court on Feb 6 and was remanded for another week to assist in further investigations. Last Friday (Feb 10), the police had escorted Teo back to the crime scene at his home in Woodlands.

Neighbours told TODAY that they thought the family had decided to spend the Chinese New Year away from home when they did not see Mdm Choong and her daughter for days.

They only noticed something had gone awry when the police turned up on Jan 28. Teo was believed to be in the flat and opened the door when the authorities were outside.

Both mother and daughter, whose bodies were found burnt, were pronounced dead at about 7pm by the paramedics at the scene.

Teo will appear in court again on March 6. If convicted of murder, he faces the death penalty.