Singaporean Fong Soong Hert, was charged in court for the alleged murder of his wife in a hotel room, during their holiday in Newcastle, in December 2021.
He appeared in the Newcastle Crown Court on 1 August, and he said that he had “snapped” and wanted his wife to stop nagging at him.
He added that he had “lost it” and used a pillow to smother her to death, which corroborates the autopsy reports of her cause of death.
He had earlier denied the murder charge and pleaded guilty to manslaughter instead.
Background
The couple was travelling on the Isle of Skye in Scotland and he then suffered a bad fall on 27 November, falling down a steep edge after tripping and he then made it back to their hotel and was attended to to by staff/
He was sent to the hospital and stayed overnight, before being discharged the next morning, and the couple then continued their tour around Scotland in a rented car.
At their next destination in Inverness, Fong was still in pain and went to hospital for another checkup, and the couple then went to Edinburgh after that where they met their eldest son, and the trio then went to Newcastle by train.
The family then went to a football match and went sightseeing, and Fong had several falls throughout the trip and needed medical attention at the hospital once again.
Fong was discharged on 6 December and the couple then went back to their hotel at 12.17am, and there were seen on CCTV returning to their hotel room, and the victim was never seen alive again.
Fong later called his eldest son and told him “I hurt your mother, she’s gone,” before further adding “she’s dead.”
The victim, Madam Pek, was found on the bed and pronounced dead at the Newcastle County Aparthotel on 6 December at about 7.32am.
Northumbria police’s statement in December
“The children of a much-loved mother, who was visiting Newcastle from Singapore, have described how they have been left ‘truly devastated’ following her tragic death.
Shortly before 7.15am on Monday, we received a report of concern for a woman at an address on the city’s Westgate Road.
Emergency services arrived and found 51-year-old Pek Ying Ling was not breathing.
Sadly, despite attempts to save her life, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation was swiftly launched, and we arrested her husband, Soong Hert Fong, on suspicion of murder.
The 50-year-old was charged with murder overnight on Monday and has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance on January 11.
Pek’s three sons are being supported by our specially-trained family liaison officers as they attempt to come to terms with their loss.
In a joint family statement, they said: “The whole situation is a huge shock to us.
“We were supposed to meet up for a family holiday, we are truly devastated.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for us so we ask that our privacy is respected while we grieve.”
First and foremost, we want to express sincere condolences to Pek’s children, family and loved ones, both here in the UK and back in her native Singapore.
We will continue to support the victim’s loved ones in every way we can.
The family have asked for their privacy to be respected so they can grieve this most tragic loss, and we ask that their wish is respected.
We also request people avoid any speculation about the case, which could impact the ongoing court proceedings.”
