S’porean Man Who Killed Wife in the UK Sentenced to Life Sentence

Fong Soong Hert, aged 51, was accused of murdering his wife, Pek Ying Ling, in a Newcastle hotel room in England. He allegedly suffocated his wife with a pillow to stop her from “nagging him”, the jury had been told.

On 12 August, the verdict came in: he was handed a life sentence in a British prison, and will serve 12.5 years before being considered for parole.

Here’s what happened.

The Day of the Murder

Pek was found dead in County Aparthotel, which is located on Westgate Road, Newcastle, on 6 December 2021.

CNA reported that a post-mortem autopsy later concluded that her injuries were consistent with her being smothered by a pillow.

The couple were vacationing in Europe to visit their children when Pek died.

According to BBC, the Newcastle Crown Court heard that Fong murdered his wife in their hotel room on the morning of 6 December, mere hours before they were supposed to fly to Paris.

After the murder, Fong called his son who was studying in a Newcastle university and told him, “I have hurt your mother. She’s gone. She’s dead.”

Fong was also quoted saying, “I just lost it. I tried to cover her mouth to shush her. I just lost it.”

Prosecutor Peter Makepeace QC noted that there was no known history of violence between the couple.

However, Pek was displeased by the fact that Fong was still smoking despite being unwell, especially since Fong had to visit a hospital in Newcastle after falling a few times during their trip.

Mr Makepeace also stated Fong may have pressed his knees on his wife’s shoulder during the assult in order to achieve the required force to murder her.

Admitted to Murder

Initially, Fong pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied the charge of murder.

However, on the fifth day of the hearing, his attorneys decided that their original strategy of “diminished responsibility” wasn’t going to work. Fong then changed his plea to guilty of murder.

He told the Newcastle Crown Court that he accepts “proper criminal liability” for his actions.

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Judge: This Case is “Truly Exceptional”

During his sentencing, Judge Paul Sloan QC noted that Fong had clearly experienced significant discomfort, describing him as “mentally and physically worn down” during the time of the murder.

This was a reference to how Fong had fallen multiple times while travelling, and was under a mix of strong painkillers. He has also been prescribed medication for anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

However, the judge believed that in the minutes Fong held a pillow over his wife’s face, he had “formed an intention to kill”.

This thus justifies the life sentence, which is the maximum penalty for murder in the United Kingdom.

The judge has also noted how this case was “truly exceptional”, as such an offence of domestic violence often has a long history of violent and abusive behaviour.

However, this was not the case for Fong and Pek, who were a loving and devoted couple.

Their sons testified to the stable and loving environment that the couple had provided. They believed that if Fong wasn’t under such mental and physical pain, the murder would not have happened.

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Featured Image: Facebook (Northumbria Police)