SINGAPORE — A resident living in the Holland Close area was found guilty on Wednesday (Feb 19) of slapping her neighbour and pushing him, causing him to hit his head on the ground and eventually die from his injuries.

Leo Mona, 55, also said in Hokkien to another neighbour who had witnessed the incident: “If you don’t know, don’t say.”

She claimed trial to two charges of assaulting Ho Wee Khuan on Aug 10, 2017, as well as attempting to obstruct the course of justice. The incident took place on the eighth floor common area of their block of flats, located around Buona Vista.

Ho died in the National University Hospital two days later. His age was not stated in court documents.

During the nine-day trial and when interviewed by police officers after the incident, Leo denied slapping and pushing Ho, claiming that he had fallen of his own accord after taking some pills.

In convicting Leo, District Judge Mathew Joseph ruled that the two neighbours who witnessed the incident gave clear and consistent testimony, in comparison to Leo’s “almost illogical and haphazard” evidence.

“Her version of events on that day was inconsistent and at times hard to follow… At one point during cross-examination, when asked to explain discrepancies and inconsistencies, she merely blurted out that she was ‘blur’ and ‘in a state of shock’,” the judge noted.

District Judge Joseph also pointed out that a toxicology report showed that there were only low levels of drugs — including antidepressants — in Ho’s system when he died.

Leo will return to court on March 16 to be sentenced. She remains out on bail.

NEIGHBOURS' ACCOUNTS OF EVENT

The two neighbours at the scene testified that Ho argued with another man and woman at the common area that day.

Madam Sarada Appi Narayanan was helping her son, Mr Wilson Loh, with household chores at the time.

Mr Loh lived on the same floor as Leo, while Ho’s flat was six floors down on the second storey. They all knew one another.

Mdm Sarada told the court that during the argument, the other man — whom she did not know — alleged that Ho had stolen money. Ho denied this and the man and woman left.

Mr Loh testified that Ho appeared unhappy and was walking towards Leo’s unit and shouting loudly for her to get out and give him his bank card.

After talking to Ho, Mr Loh found out about the earlier argument, and stopped him from knocking on Leo’s door.

Mdm Sarada said that after that, Leo talked to Ho, who scolded her in Hokkien with a vulgarity at one point. Leo then grew angry, slapped Ho on the face and pushed him with both her hands, which caused him to fall.

When Ho fell, Mdm Sarada ran back to her son’s flat out of fear. Her son heard the fall and went to check on what had happened.

Mr Loh wanted to call the police but Leo told him: “Don’t need to call, a while, he will wake up”. He still called the authorities a few minutes later.

When police officers arrived and took Leo aside, they walked past Mr Loh’s flat where Mdm Sarada was standing. Leo then told her in Hokkien not to reveal anything to the police — something that Mr Loh heard as well.

During the trial, Leo claimed that Ho was incoherent at the time, and that Mdm Sarada was not around when they happened. She also denied telling the other woman to remain silent.

District Judge Joseph rejected her defence, saying that she was not a credible witness and that her actions following the incident were “noteworthy”.