Man kills married lover and himself at Yishun flat
Couple's flatmate heard them quarrelling before deaths
She was a married woman who had an affair with a man five years her junior.
But the relationship between Madam Pu Feiyan, 30, an assembler, and Wang Xingxing, 25, a manufacturing operator, was tempestuous.
The Chinese nationals, who shared a rented room in a flat on the 15th storey of Block 110, Yishun Ring Road, quarrelled often.
It is not known whether Madam Pu's husband was also in Singapore.
But when she wanted to end the affair, Wang strangled her then jumped to his death from the flat on Aug 17 last year.
On Tuesday, State Coroner Marvin Bay found that Wang had killed Madam Pu before committing suicide.
Before the tragedy, Madam Pu confided in a friend, Ms Jiang Yan Yan, about her relationship problems with Wang.
At around 8pm on July 19 last year, she called Ms Jiang, shouting for help and crying because Wang had beaten her.
Madam Pu needed her friend's help to pack her belongings as she wanted to leave the flat.
Ms Jiang was on her way there when Madam Pu had a change of heart and told her that their landlord, Mr Khoo Soo Hin, had stepped in to mediate.
Madam Pu assured Ms Jiang she would not be assaulted again as Mr Khoo was present in the flat.
The next day, Ms Jiang visited Madam Pu and had lunch with the couple.
BRUISES
Mr Bay noted: "Ms Jiang noticed bruises on (Madam Pu's) neck that resembled grip marks from finger impressions. She also noticed bruises on (Madam Pu's) left hand and leg."
Wang admitted to hurting Madam Pu.
On Aug 15, Madam Pu asked Ms Jiang if she could stay over with her as she had quarrelled with Wang the night before.
She later told Ms Jiang that she wanted to return to her room to speak to Wang. She declined Ms Jiang's offer to accompany her as she appeared determined to resolve the matter on her own.
The lovers' flatmate, Mr Chen Dengwei, recalled the couple returning home at around 7pm on Aug 17 and then quarrelling in their room.
After about five minutes, he heard a choking sound coming from the room.
Mr Bay said: "His sense was that the choking sound had come from (Madam Pu) and sounded as if she were gasping for air. The sound lasted for three to five seconds before she fell silent."
When Wang left the flat, Mr Chen went to the couple's room and saw Madam Pu lying motionless on a bed.
He called out to her but she did not respond, so he returned to his room.
Wang returned to the flat soon after and locked himself in the room.
Mr Chen was in his room when he heard Wang stepping out towards the kitchen.
Mr Bay said Mr Chen then heard a loud sound from the direction of the kitchen.
When he went to the kitchen, Mr Chen saw a red chair near a window ledge. He then saw Wang lying motionless at the bottom of the block.
The police were notified at around 8.30pm and arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later.
Madam Pu, who was lying on the bed covered with a blanket, was pronounced dead by paramedics at 10.05pm.
The police found a suicide note written by Wang confessing that he had killed Madam Pu.
"His sense was that the choking sound had come from (Madam Pu) and sounded as if she were gasping for air."
- State Coroner Marvin Bay
HELPLINES
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
1800-221-4444
National Family Service Centre
1800-838-0100
Singapore Association for Mental Health
1800-283-7019
Care Corner Mandarin Counselling Centre
1800-353-5800
Touchline (Touch Youth Service)
1800-377-2252
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