Mental health should be taken seriously not just because we could harm ourselves, but those around us.
While it may seem hard to believe for those who have never experienced mental heath disorders, these disturbances can sometimes drive you to hurt the ones you’re supposed to love and protect.
And that’s exactly what happened to Paul Leslie Quirk.
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History of Mental Illness
The 49-year-old Australian moved to Singapore in 2016 and married Singaporean Christina Khoo Gek Hwa, 43, the next year. He adopted her son from her first marriage.
According to The Straits Times, Quirk was first diagnosed with depression after his divorce in 2001. Then, in 2005, he began experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations and believed that he needed to save the world by dying.
Consequently, he attempted to harm himself on two occasions, and ended up being admitted to psychiatric units.
His symptoms went into remission after he was switched to an antipsychotic medication, but suffered relapses when he stopped taking it.
He was prescribed the same medication when he came to Singapore, but took it once every two to three days or more, instead of once a day as prescribed.
Murdered Wife in Schizophrenic Relapse
On the night of 2 January last year, Quirk and Khoo had an argument at home, prompting Quirk to pack his bags and head to 17 Punggol Residences, where his family, visiting from Australia, was staying.
Quirk told his brother he felt pressured to stay in the marriage, but was advised to persevere.
So, along with his brother, Quirk returned home in the early hours of the morning the next day.
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All three left the unit later that day, and the couple was seen holding hands when they parted ways with Quirk’s brother.
When Quirk and Khoo went to the Catholic Spirituality Centre, Quirk heard a voice telling him that he had “a chance to stop this from getting worse”.
This auditory hallucinations continued as the couple headed home, telling him that his wife was evil, and that staying in the marriage would upset the order of things.
These voices ended up pushing Quirk over the edge.
At about 11:50am, Quirk grabbed sticks that the family used for kali, a form of martial arts, and began striking Madam Khoo, causing her to run to the balcony and scream for help.
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He followed her and continued to hit her on the back of her head, shouting “You die, you die”.
Some shocked neighbours witnessed the attack and quickly called the police. However, Quirk continued to assault Madam Khoo even after she fled to the master bedroom.
After the 43-year-old collapsed, Quirk grabbed a knife from the kitchen and repeatedly stabbed her neck.
He then texted his brother, saying “it is done”.
Quirk then stabbed the family’s 10-month-old poodle and threw it out of their third-floor balcony.
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Jailed for 10 Years; Charge Reduced Due to Psychiatric Condition
When the police arrived, Quirk was covered in blood and told the police that he was “Jesus Christ”.
Yesterday (24 May), Quirk was sentenced to 10 years’ jail by the High Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide.
Since his psychiatric condition was deemed to have significantly impaired his mental responsibility for his acts, his charge was reduced from murder.
Another charge, of mischief for killing the dog, was taken into consideration.
It was later revealed that Quirk killed the dog as he believed it was a spirit companion that “could have brought the demon back to life”.
He had also seen a passer-by wearing a marathon “finisher” T-shirt, which his mind interpreted as “finish her”. This had been what spurred him on to attack his wife.
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Feature Image: karanik yimpat / Shutterstock.com
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