S’pore Woman Admits to Killing Foster Father Over HDB Flat Inheritance Dispute

In a shocking case that rocked a quiet Sengkang neighbourhood, a 32-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after brutally killing her foster father in a fit of rage over a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat inheritance.

Tragedy in Sengkang: Foster Daughter Attacks with 18cm Cleaver

The horrifying incident took place between the night of 3 November 2022 and the early hours of the next morning at Block 190A Rivervale Drive, Sengkang. The accused, Tan Qiu Yan, used an 18cm kitchen cleaver—the largest she could find at a local supermarket—to repeatedly slash her 67-year-old foster father, Tan Ah Bang.

Court documents revealed that Tan ambushed her foster father as he exited the shower. She had waited quietly outside the bathroom, knife in hand, and launched a frenzied attack, slashing him at least 40 times. Even after he collapsed to the ground, she continued hacking at him to ensure he was dead.

Conflict Over HDB Ownership Sparked Fatal Outburst

The accused had been living with her foster parents for many years. Before her foster mother succumbed to lung cancer in August 2022, she promised Tan that half of her HDB ownership would be passed on to her. However, upon the foster mother’s death, the flat—jointly owned by the foster parents—automatically became the sole property of the foster father.

When Tan discovered this, it led to frequent arguments. Despite her foster father’s assurance that she would inherit the home after his death, she remained fearful of being evicted. He reportedly became angry with her constant insistence on being added as a co-owner and threatened to kick her out. This escalated Tan’s resentment and planted the seeds of murder.

Aftermath: Calm Cleanup, Then a Chilling Confession

After committing the gruesome act, Tan reportedly cleaned up the scene, changed out of her blood-stained clothes, and calmly planned to take a bus to the police station to surrender. However, she later decided to return home and called the police instead, stating simply that her father was dead at home.

Police officers arrived at the scene to discover a blood-soaked unit and a lifeless body. Tan was arrested on the spot. During investigations, she admitted to deliberately purchasing the cleaver and harbouring intent to kill.

Jailed 18 Years for Hacking Adoptive Father Over HDB Flat Ownership

Justice Mavis Chionh concluded that although Tan’s actions were heinous and deliberate, her condition did not warrant life imprisonment. There was no prior history of violence, and she had shown signs of partial recovery and insight into her mental health issues, reported CNA

The judge noted that Mr Tan had likely spoken harshly in the heat of arguments and may have eventually fulfilled his promise to leave the flat to his daughter. However, Tan’s delusions and irrational fears overtook her, resulting in a disproportionate and violent response.

Justice Chionh sentenced Tan to 18 years in prison, balancing her mental condition and mitigating factors with the extreme nature of her crime.