Woman Jailed 12 Years for Fatally Stabbing Married Lover at Beach Road Condo After Relationship Deteriorated Over Money

A woman has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment after admitting to fatally stabbing her married lover during a confrontation at a condominium along Beach Road in 2024.

Li Ye, a Chinese national who was 37 years old at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to one count of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. She had originally faced a murder charge before the prosecution accepted the reduced charge.

According to CNA, The fatal stabbing took place on 8 May 2024 at a City Gate condominium unit. The victim, a 56-year-old married man, died after suffering a single stab wound to the chest.

Relationship Began After Meeting at Nightclub

Court proceedings heard that Li met the victim in September 2019 while working as a performance artiste manager at a nightclub he regularly visited.

The man reportedly told Li that he was in the process of divorcing his wife. Their friendship developed into a romantic relationship by the middle of 2020, after which Li and her son moved into accommodation paid for by the victim.

The couple later relocated to a condominium unit along Beach Road, where the man paid monthly rent of S$3,200. He also took on the role of supporting Li and her children financially.

The court heard that the victim continued providing financial assistance after leaving his job in late 2021, claiming he could rely on profits from foreign exchange trading.

Financial Problems Placed Relationship Under Strain

Li’s daughter later joined the household after arriving from China, and both children reportedly regarded the victim as a father figure.

He also invested S$30,000 to help Li establish a fashion boutique at Parklane Mall and covered an additional S$2,000 monthly rental for the shop.

However, the victim’s forex investments eventually suffered significant losses. As his financial situation worsened, he began borrowing money and struggled to keep up with household expenses.

According to court documents, the deteriorating finances placed increasing pressure on the relationship. Li accused him of using S$3,500 intended for her daughter’s school fees to fund forex trading instead.

She also claimed his behaviour began affecting her employment after he allegedly turned up at the nightclub where she worked to create disturbances, leading to the loss of at least two jobs.

Arguments Escalated Before Fatal Incident

As tensions mounted, Li gradually assumed responsibility for paying the household rent and was covering the full monthly amount by December 2023.

She attempted to end the relationship in early 2024, but the victim refused to move out, insisting he remained the lawful tenant of the condominium.

Just days before the fatal incident, the man repeatedly contacted Li, demanding access to the apartment before eventually returning to the unit in the early hours of the morning.

Following another heated dispute, Li reportedly damaged his belongings and attempted to stab him with a pair of scissors. The victim managed to block the attack, escaping with only minor injuries.

Single Stab Wound Proved Fatal

On 8 May 2024, Li returned home from work shortly after 1.20am and found the victim lying on their bed using his mobile phone.

She again demanded that he leave the apartment. After he refused, the confrontation continued in the kitchen, where Li picked up a knife with a 15cm blade.

As the victim attempted to calm her down and held onto her arm, Li stabbed him once in the upper left side of his chest.

She immediately tried to assist him and instructed her daughter to call for an ambulance. Despite being rushed to hospital, the man was pronounced dead at around 2.30am.

Li remained at the scene and was arrested later that day.

Court Describes Killing as Domestic Violence

During sentencing, prosecutors argued that the offence should be treated as a serious case of domestic violence, noting that Li had been the aggressor despite the couple’s troubled relationship.

The prosecution sought a prison term of between 12 and 13 years, rejecting suggestions that the victim had been trespassing, as he remained the legal tenant of the property.

Li’s defence lawyer said she had reached her breaking point and deeply regretted her actions. He added that she had instructed him not to challenge the prosecution’s proposed sentence because she did not want to appear unremorseful.

Justice Kwek Mean Luck accepted that Li had shown remorse and acknowledged the emotional impact her imprisonment would have on her children. However, he stressed that the fatal violence committed inside the couple’s home warranted a substantial custodial sentence.

Li was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, backdated to her arrest in May 2024. The judge also encouraged her to continue improving herself while serving her sentence so she could one day reunite with her children as a better person.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News And Google Maps