Man gets 10 years, 12 strokes for 2001 killing
Gunasegaran Ramasamy stabbed his victim nine times and made off with $30
It has been 16 years since a robber plunged a knife nine times into her daughter, killing her and escaping with $30.
Yesterday, Gunasegaran Ramasamy, who robbed and killed Miss Soh San in October 2001, was sentenced to the maximum 10 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
Miss Soh's mother, Madam Katherine Wong, told The New Paper that she had already forgiven her daughter's attacker.
She said: "Nothing can bring my daughter back, but I already forgave him a few days after the incident."
On Oct 2, 2001, Miss Soh, then a 28-year-old manager with a telecommunications company, was on her way home from work when Gunasegaran targeted her in a lift in a HDB block in Bukit Batok.
Then 16, Gunasegaran, had left his flat to buy instant noodles at a shop in Bukit Batok for his sister, and decided to look for targets to rob.
He saw Miss Soh at the void deck of a block in Bukit Batok West Avenue 8. Gunasegaran hid behind a wall, unwrapped a 28cm-long knife and tucked it under his pants near his abdomen, covering it with his shirt.
At the lift, he pressed the button but then used his knuckle to rub against the button to remove his fingerprints.
He followed her into the lift, pulled out the knife and demanded money.
Miss Soh screamed for help, struggled, and was stabbed in the arm. She then gave him $30.
Gunasegaran then tried to snatch her purse, but when Miss Soh resisted, he stabbed her repeatedly on her arm and body.
She bled profusely and shouted at him to stop before collapsing.
He fled by running down the stairs, washed the knife and returned it to the knife holder in his sister's home.
Miss Soh's body was wedged between the lift doors, and was later discovered by a resident.
Gunasegaran turned himself in on Nov 17, 2013, due to guilt. He walked into a neighbourhood police centre and confessed to his crime.
His lawyer, assigned to him by the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Mr Ng Shi Yang, said in mitigation that Gunasegaran heard "voices" in his head, which began shortly after the offence and worsened in the years leading up to the confession.
Gunasegaran had convictions in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006 for burglary, robbery and theft, and again in 2011 for causing grievous hurt, breach of personal protection order and concealing stolen property.
Madam Wong, who is in her 60s, said her Christian faith has helped her cope.
She said: "When (Gunasegaran) turned himself in, I was happy. He could have just vanished and the case would never be closed.
"It was hard to believe that a 16-year-old was carrying around a knife and stabbed my daughter even after she gave him money."
The family has since moved away from Bukit Batok.
Miss Soh's uncle, Mr Myke Wong, 62, was not so forgiving.
The hairstylist said: "He deserves to be haunted by his conscience for 12 years for what he did. To stab someone nine times is really sick.
"At 16, he committed such a vicious act. He should be locked away for life."
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