SINGAPORE — Having suffered years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of his elder brother, 21-year-old Ng Yao Wei snapped after another bullying episode and stabbed him to death in their shared bedroom in April last year.

Ng, now 23, was jailed for seven years on Monday (Sept 19) for committing culpable homicide not amounting to murder, after a High Court judge noted the longstanding acrimony between the brothers and the fact that Ng had been suffering from depression at that time.

On April 12 last year, Ng was playing computer games with his friends, while his brother Yao Cheng, then 26, was watching television with his father. All of them were in the living room of the Choa Chu Kang condominium.

Around 11pm, Ng’s brother shouted at him for being noisy and initiated a fight. Their father had to physically restrain his brother to end the quarrel.

The following night, Ng decided to confront his brother in the bedroom over his rude behaviour, having felt embarrassed in front of his friends. The situation escalated, with Ng calling his brother an “arsehole”, prompting his brother to lunge forward in an attempt to punch him.

Ng retrieved a 33-cm long kitchen knife, which he had hidden under his pillow the previous night, and rained blows on his brother.

His mother and domestic helper rushed into the bedroom upon hearing the commotion, and it was only then that Ng started to realise what he had done. The blood was everywhere — soaking the bedsheet and the curtain, and splattering across the wall and the ceiling. An autopsy revealed 22 stab wounds on the body.

He left the room and called the cops. “We need a police officer, at this location… Then the police officer asked what is it for. I was hesitant, I didn’t reply, then they asked again… and I said murder,” Ng recounted later.

A subsequent psychiatric assessment found that Ng was suffering from major depressive disorder and had attacked his brother “in a cathartic release of hitherto pent-up anger and emotion”. Institute of Mental Health psychiatrist Stephen Phang assessed that he would require at least two years of treatment, with another one to two years of observation. Prosecutors called for a jail term of seven to 10 years.

“We recognise that this is an unfortunate family tragedy caused by the mental illness suffered by the accused. The best way forward is to ensure that this family tragedy, this episode of violence, will not repeat again, and that is to ensure that the accused is completely and sufficiently treated before he’s released into society,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Ma Hanfeng.

Defence lawyer Josephus Tan pleaded for a sentence for seven years or less, citing the prolonged abuse that Ng had suffered under his brother, escalating from insults to physical violence over a five-year period.

Ng, who was described as “timid, quiet and introverted”, had also sought help for his depression five months before the incident. He went to the Institute of Mental Health and was prescribed anti-depressants, which he did not take.

In an affidavit submitted to court, Ng’s parents and eldest brother expressed regret over not realising the extent of his depression. “When Yao Wei is released from prison, we pledge that he will always have a place in our home. In our hearts, he will always continue to be our son,” they wrote.

Delivering her judgement, Judicial Commissioner Audrey Lim said: “This is truly an unfortunate tragic case involving the death of one brother in the hands of the other.”

However, she also noted the aggravating factors: the use of the kitchen knife and the multiple injuries, and felt that Ng should be behind the bars for a “suitable length” to ensure that he received proper treatment and monitoring.