Beach Road murder: Court orders assessment to determine if accused with dementia can make his defence

Chng Hock Choon is accused of murdering Miskiman Maakip, then 67, on Sep 13, 2020 at Block 5, Beach Road.

The High Court of Singapore. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)

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SINGAPORE: The court on Monday (Oct 5) ordered a 62-year-old man accused of murder at Beach Road in 2020 to be detained for psychiatric assessment to determine whether he is capable of making his defence given his cognitive impairment.

Chng Hock Choon has been charged with the murder of Miskiman Maakip, then 67, on Sep 13, 2020.

The authorities found Miskiman lying motionless on a grass patch near Block 5, Beach Road at about 3pm. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead later that day.

During a video hearing at the High Court on Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutors Christina Koh and Grace Chua applied for Chng to be detained at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for assessment by a designated medical practitioner, who would certify whether he is capable of making his defence.

Chng, who appeared thin and frail and sported shoulder-length hair, has been diagnosed with dementia. During the 15-minute hearing, he stood up multiple times and attempted to exit the room where he was attending the hearing via video link.

A Mandarin interpreter told his lawyers that Chng could say his name but not his identification number.

Five minutes before the hearing was scheduled to start, he left the room, with officers appearing to let him out.

When court convened, his lawyer Krishna R Sharma told the court that Chng had informed the officers that the hearing was done, so "they took him back".

The proceedings were stood down to allow the officers to escort Chng back.

Citing Chng's previous psychiatric report, Ms Koh said he had been found to have a neurocognitive disorder with impaired memory and cognition that rendered him unable to follow court proceedings or understand the charge against him.

The prosecution thus sought a formal assessment to determine whether Chng was capable of making his defence.

Chng's other lawyer, Mr Chung Ting Fai, did not object to the application.

Justice Dedar Singh Gill granted the application. The court will convene another hearing after the certificate has been issued.

If Chng is certified incapable of making his defence, the statutory regime under Sections 247 to 249 of the Criminal Procedure Code will apply.

Under this regime, the court must determine whether Chng is incapable of making his defence.

If so, the court must report the case to the relevant minister and specify the notional imprisonment period that Chng would have been required to undergo had he been convicted of the offence he was charged with.

The minister may then make an appropriate order for Chng to be detained at IMH or at any other suitable facility.

As Chng has yet to be certified incapable of making his defence, the court did not discuss his notional imprisonment period.

Further details of the case have yet to be revealed in court.

In an earlier case involving the same legal regime, a 90-year-old man who killed his wife was given a notional imprisonment period of five years after he was certified to be of unsound mind.

Ridawi Morsudin was given the notional imprisonment period by the High Court on Aug 28, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind dealt with since amendments to Singapore's unsoundness-of-mind regime took effect in February 2025.

Ridawi had been found to be suffering from dementia and may have been delirious when he killed his wife.

After deciding on the notional imprisonment period, the High Court judge in that case said she would report the case to the relevant minister. Ridawi was to remain remanded at the Complex Medical Centre in the meantime.

Murder carries the death penalty.

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Chng Hock Choon 被控于 2020 年 9 月 13 日在 Beach Road 第 5 座谋杀当时 67 岁的 Miskiman Maakip。

新加坡高等法院。（图片：CNA/Jeremy Long）

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新加坡：周一（10月5日），法庭下令将一名62岁男子拘留，对其进行精神鉴定，以确定他是否能够进行辩护，因为他存在认知障碍。该男子被控于2020年在海滩路犯下谋杀罪。

Chng Hock Choon 被控于 2020 年 9 月 13 日谋杀当时 67 岁的 Miskiman Maakip。

下午3点左右，警方在海滩路5号街区附近的一片草地上发现了一动不动的米斯基曼。他被送往医院，当天晚些时候被宣布死亡。

周一，高等法院举行视频听证会，副检察官许嘉欣和蔡嘉欣申请将张某拘留在心理卫生学院（IMH），由指定医生进行评估，以确定他是否有能力进行辩护。

身形消瘦、头发及肩的张某已被诊断患有痴呆症。在15分钟的听证会期间，他多次起身试图离开他通过视频连线参加听证会的房间。

一名普通话翻译告诉他的律师，Chng 能说出自己的名字，但说不出自己的身份证号码。

听证会预定开始前五分钟，他离开了房间，似乎是警官们把他放出去的。

开庭时，他的律师 Krishna R Sharma 告诉法庭，Chng 已告知官员听证会已结束，所以“他们把他带走了”。

庭审暂停，以便警员护送张某返回。

许女士援引张先生之前的精神病学报告称，他被诊断患有神经认知障碍，记忆力和认知能力受损，导致他无法跟上法庭程序或理解对他的指控。

因此，检方寻求进行正式评估，以确定庄某是否有能力进行辩护。

Chng的另一位律师钟廷辉先生没有对该申请提出异议。

德达尔·辛格·吉尔法官批准了该申请。法院将在颁发证书后再次举行听证会。

如果 Chng 被证明无能力进行辩护，则适用《刑事诉讼法》第 247 条至第 249 条规定的法定程序。

根据这一规定，法院必须确定张某是否无能力进行辩护。

如果属实，法院必须将案件报告给相关部长，并具体说明如果 Chng 被判犯有被控罪行，他将被要求服刑的假定监禁期限。

部长随后可下令将张某拘留在心理卫生学院或其他合适的设施中。

由于 Chng 尚未被认定为无能力进行辩护，法庭没有讨论他的推定监禁期限。

案件的更多细节尚未在法庭上披露。

在之前一起涉及同一法律制度的案件中，一名 90 岁的老人杀害了他的妻子，在被认定为精神不健全后，被判处五年的推定监禁。

8 月 28 日，高等法院判处里达维·莫苏丁 (Ridawi Morsudin) 名义上的监禁期限。据信，这是自新加坡精神失常制度修正案于 2025 年 2 月生效以来处理的第一起此类案件。

里达维被发现患有痴呆症，他在杀害妻子时可能处于谵妄状态。

在确定了推定监禁期限后，该案高等法院法官表示，她将把案件报告给相关部长。在此期间，里达维将继续被关押在综合医疗中心。

谋杀罪可判处死刑。

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