A Singapore man accused of suffocating his wife on holiday said he had no recollection of the incident last year.
Fong Soong Hert, 51, allegedly murdered his wife Pek Ying Ling, 51, by smothering her with a pillow to prevent her from “nagging him” on December 6, 2021 at the County Aparthotel in Newcastle, England. .
The couple, who have been married for 27 years, were on holiday in Europe and planned to meet up with their sons during the trip. When they were on the Isle of Skye, Fong had injured himself in a fall. He also fell three more times in Newcastle, prompting Pek to “berate him for not taking care of himself,” according to the prosecutor.
Fong reportedly went to a hospital and took medication for the pain he was suffering. His wife was not happy with him as he continued to smoke while he was unwell. At the Newcastle Hotel, Pek discussed changing their vacation plans due to Fong’s condition. However, Fong said he wanted to end the call as he was in pain.
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“He lost his temper, he snapped, and he choked her to death, apparently to keep her from verbally abusing or nagging him or to silence her,” the prosecutor said.
“I hurt your mother. She’s gone. She’s dead,” Fong is said to have sent a message to his son, who is studying at a university in Newcastle. “I just lost it. I tried to cover her mouth to shut her up. I just lost it.”
Fong pleaded guilty to manslaughter on March 18. Although he accepted killing his wife, he told Newcastle Crown Court on Monday he had no recollection of the incident.
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“I can’t remember, I really want it, I can’t explain it,” he said. “I’m really desperate to understand what happened and what went wrong.”
“I can’t come to terms with it, but I accept that I caused her death,” Fong added. “I can’t believe there is anything she can say or do that can make me so angry.”
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The 51-year-old denied intentionally causing serious harm or killing Pek.
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According to prosecutor Peter Makepeace, Fong was taken to Cramlington Hospital after the incident for a CT scan and evaluation of his neurological condition, which found no signs of a blackout or loss of consciousness. Makepeace added that Fong’s memory deficit only surfaced after he spoke to his attorneys.
When asked about choosing how much to disclose, Fong said, “If I could, I would admit anything. I think it’s easier for my family and my sons to just be mad at me than to go through all those emotions.”
The process is still ongoing. In the UK, the maximum penalty for murder or manslaughter is life imprisonment.
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Featured image via Alexis Fong