Married Father of Three Gets 13-Year Jail Sentence for Knife Attack on Ex-Lover’s Boyfriend

By
Siti Hajar
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A 64-year-old married father of three was sentenced to 13 years and eight months’ jail by the High Court on 27 Mar 2025 for attempting to murder his former lover’s new boyfriend in a knife attack at an HDB void deck in Choa Chu Kang.

Ong Eng Siew received a harsher sentence than what both the prosecution and defence had sought. The prosecution had called for a jail term of between 10 years, eight weeks and 12 years, 10 weeks, while the defence urged for seven to eight years.

Vicious Knife Attack in Choa Chu Kang Void Deck

On 12 Jun 2021, after drinking beer from noon to 8pm, Ong headed to his ex-lover’s home at Block 407 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3. He placed a knife by a dustbin at the void deck and waited.

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When the couple arrived at about 9:25pm, Ong confronted them. He took the knife, approached Mr Ku Teck Eng, then 52, and shouted in Hokkien: “I will make sure you die.”

Ong slashed Mr Ku’s left shoulder. As Mr Ku tried to back away, he tripped over a kerb and fell. While Mr Ku lay on the grass, Ong stabbed him in the chest and slashed his abdomen.

When his former lover, identified in court as “Berlin,” attempted to intervene, Ong pushed her, causing her to fall into a drain, and punched her shoulder.

Mr Ku managed to escape to a nearby provision shop for help. Residents in the neighboring block shouted at Ong and called the police. As Ong fled, he threw the knife into a drain near the block.

After the incident, Ong sent Berlin numerous voice messages asking her not to call the police, saying it was all her fault, and that Mr Ku should settle the matter with him without police involvement if he was “a man.”

Severe Injuries and Mental Health Considerations in Sentencing

Mr Ku was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where he underwent surgery on the same day to repair damage to the left ventricle of his heart and his small bowel region. He had a second surgery days later and was hospitalized for nine days.

A Health Sciences Authority report stated that the stab wound to Mr Ku’s chest, which resulted in a laceration on his left ventricle, would have been fatal without emergency medical intervention due to blood building up in the sac around the heart.

The wound to his abdomen caused part of the bowel to protrude, which could have led to death from infection without surgical intervention.

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In her judgment, Justice Mavis Chionh said the harm caused by Ong’s attempt at murder was “severe and significant,” with the injuries “extremely serious,” even if Mr Ku did not appear to suffer from long-term injuries.

A major point of contention between the defence and prosecution was whether Ong’s adjustment disorder contributed to his actions.

The defence psychiatrist, Dr Rajesh Jacob, cited stressors in Ong’s life at the time, including the death of his brother in April 2021, the end of his relationship with Berlin, and financial difficulties from his employer not paying his salary.

The prosecution argued that Ong’s actions were driven by jealousy, anger, and a lack of inhibition caused by alcohol consumption.

Justice Chionh preferred the defence psychiatrist’s evidence, finding his analysis more persuasive, and accepted that there was a major contributory link between Ong’s mental disorder and the offences.

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However, she gave limited mitigating weight to his mental condition as he still retained an understanding of his actions and was able to weigh the consequences.

The judge noted that Ong’s adjustment disorder was temporary and situational, a maladaptive response to genuine stressors in his life, and said his condition could not be a “licence” to harm others.

Justice Chionh cited the viciousness of the attack, the public alarm caused, and Ong’s self-induced alcohol intoxication as aggravating factors.

In mitigation, she considered Ong’s show of remorse through his voluntary compensation of S$2,000 to Mr Ku, and the absence of violent behavior in his past history.

Ong’s wife and son attended the hearing and were allowed to speak to him after the court session.

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Pattern of Harassment Following Relationship Breakdown

The assault was a culmination of Ong’s increasingly aggressive behavior toward Berlin, whom he had abused and harassed in the lead-up to the incident.

Ong was in a relationship with Berlin for 1½ years from November 2019, despite being married with children.

Berlin only discovered his marriage in September 2020 and confronted him, but Ong lied that he was separated from his wife and would be ending his marriage.

In January 2021, Ong began drinking heavily and gambling his salary away on horse betting. The couple quarreled frequently over his behavior, and Berlin ended the relationship on 25 Apr 2021. She later began dating Mr Ku.

From May 2021, Ong pestered Berlin with text messages and phone calls while drunk, and also looked for her on four occasions. He threatened her with bodily harm, including pushing her off a building and stabbing her.

On 1 Jun 2021, while they were in his van, Ong became upset after Berlin admitted she was in a new relationship.

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When she tried to leave the van, he slammed her head against the vehicle, pushed her back into the passenger seat, and drove around while punching her. Berlin lodged a police report against him for this assault.

Ong continued sending messages to her. When she blocked him on WhatsApp, he sent her emails declaring his love for her.

In January 2025, Ong pleaded guilty in the High Court to one charge of attempted murder and one charge of voluntarily causing hurt. Three other charges – two for causing hurt and one for obstructing the course of justice – were taken into consideration during sentencing.

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Siti Hajar