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Man accused of murder tried to have sex with corpse, court told

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Court told that Malaysian man killed Chinese woman in jealous rage

After strangling a 28-year-old nurse in a jealous rage, a middle-aged man took photos of her nude body and tried to have sex with the corpse.

Boh Soon Ho, a 51-year-old Malaysian, told himself "since (the woman) had died and I have never seen her naked before, I should undress her", the High Court heard yesterday on the first day of his murder trial.

The cafeteria worker has been charged with strangling Chinese national Zhang Huaxiang with a towel between 12.15pm and about 5.50pm on March 21, 2016, at his rented Circuit Road bedroom.

If convicted, he faces life imprisonment or the death penalty.

In his opening address, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Kok Weng told the court that Boh considered Ms Zhang to be his girlfriend as they went out shopping and had meals together, even though they had never been physically intimate.

The two got to know each other sometime in 2011 or 2012 when Ms Zhang was working part-time at the staff cafeteria at Marina Bay Sands resort while studying nursing.

After graduating, she started working at the National University Hospital.

Days before the killing, on March 18, Boh saw Ms Zhang getting into a taxi with a man after leaving her flat.

He felt jealous and believed she was cheating on him.

He then arranged for her to go over to his place for a steamboat lunch on March 21.

When Boh saw her combing her hair in his room, he tried to have sex with her but she rejected his advances.

Ten minutes later, he again tried to force himself on her, putting an arm lock around her neck and dragging her into his room, but she put up a fierce struggle.

When Boh confronted her about the man who was with her, she told him that she had gone out with the man on four to five occasions.

When he heard this, Boh became furious. He took a bath towel, looped it around her neck and pulled for about two minutes until there was no sign of life.

He noticed that her face had darkened as he carried her body to his bed.

Boh took off her clothes and still wanted to have sex with her as he felt he could do what he wished, now that she could no longer resist him. However, he was unable to perform sexually.

Boh then went to Geylang to buy a suitcase and returned to the flat.

He initially thought of putting the body in his own suitcase and dumping it in Sembawang, but the body was too stiff.

He also considered dismembering it but did not do so.

He then spent the night sleeping next to the body.

The next morning, March 22, he left for Malaysia.

That evening, his landlord in Singapore, Mr Chai Yong Siong, found the body and called the police.

The following morning, Mr Chai received a call from Boh, who told him he had strangled Ms Zhang and was in Kuala Lumpur.

On April 4, 2016, Boh was arrested by Malaysian police while he was having dinner at a restaurant. He was brought back to Singapore the next day.

A report from the Institute of Mental Health said Boh was not intellectually disabled and does not suffer from any mental disorder.

In statements to the police, he admitted strangling Ms Zhang because he was furious with her and wanted to kill her.

The trial continues.

COURT & CRIME