SINGAPORE: The court on Monday (Oct 5) ordered a 61-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”.
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