Ang Mo Kio murder suspect often locked out of house, once broke its window shutters, neighbours say
The suspect and the woman who was found dead were constantly heard fighting, said one neighbour, who told CNA that she called the police multiple times over their fights.
by Charmaine Jacob · CNA · JoinSINGAPORE: The murder suspect in the death of a woman in Ang Mo Kio was often heard arguing with her and had been locked out of the house on multiple occasions, according to neighbours.
The 66-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Friday (Nov 29) after the 67-year-old woman was found dead in the same flat.
When CNA arrived at the scene at 1.05pm on Friday, a yellow slip of paper was perched on a window grille at the unit, stating that it had been locked by the police for investigations.
The woman's next-door neighbour, Madam Rahimah, who only wanted to be referred to by her first name, claimed the man once broke the window shutters after being locked out of the house by the woman – something that occurred multiple times and as recently as three weeks ago.
She said he would bang furiously on the doors and window shutters, and that she had called the police multiple times when the fights became too "serious".
Mdm Rahimah showed CNA photos on her phone of the broken window shutters. She also claimed that she had seen bruises on the woman's face and neck.
To her understanding, the man is not the woman's husband, although they have occasionally been seen "holding hands", Mdm Rahimah said.
But the woman's friend of 20 years, who only wanted to be referred to as Madam Lim, told CNA that the man was not her boyfriend, and only stayed with the woman because he had nowhere else to live.
Mdm Lim said Mdm Rahimah would contact her if there were loud commotions or fights between the man and woman.
When Mdm Lim came to check on the woman at about 7pm on Monday, she heard the pair fighting loudly but did not knock on the door before heading off.
Mdm Lim told CNA that the woman had four children, but none would visit her. She stated that the first two children were from her ex-husband, while the other two were from another past relationship.
Mdm Lim claimed that she had informed the old boyfriend about the woman's death.
There is a closed-circuit television camera outside the woman's house, which was installed around seven years ago after Mdm Rahimah went to the town council due to the woman allegedly throwing rubbish and spitting outside her house.
Although Mdm Rahimah did not converse much with the woman as she could only speak Mandarin, the man would talk to her and occasionally ask her for petty cash, a phone charger or a lighter.
Two other neighbours on the same floor also told CNA they heard the man and woman arguing loudly on numerous occasions and that it had become "so normal".
Syed, 31, who moved in in April, said the man and woman could be heard "fighting every day, but the door is always closed".
Hafiz, 25, who lives a few doors down on the right, said that since he moved into the flat in January, he would sometimes hear the woman screaming inside the house. He had also seen the man being locked out of the house.
The man will be charged in court on Saturday with murder. The offence carries the death penalty.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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