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SINGAPORE: A man who stabbed his wife to death because he believed she was having an affair was sentenced to 10 years in jail on Friday (September 18) for wrongful death that does not amount to murder.
Krishnan Raju, 53, suffered from a jealousy-type delusional disorder at the time, which substantially affected his mental responsibility for the act, the judge found.
Given his medical condition, Judge Hoo Sheau Peng did not impose imprisonment in lieu of spanking, adding that she would not have imposed spanking even if he was less than 50 years old and could be spanked.
Krishnan had married his wife when she was 17 years old and was possessive of her during their 28-year relationship and marriage.
Their relationship deteriorated starting in late 2016, and then she moved out of her room, with Krishnan placing an audio device in her room.
On October 26, 2017, he returned home after work and drank gin while reviewing the audio recordings. From what he heard, he believed his wife was having an affair with another man and was laughing at him.
When his wife returned home, Krishnan stabbed her in the bathroom before dragging her into the bedroom because he wanted her to listen to the audio recording.
LEE: Man admits to stabbing his wife to death because he suspected she was having an affair
He repeatedly stabbed her and strangled her before delaying her daughter’s return home while he fled to Malaysia.
His daughter and cousin later found his wife’s body and Krishnan turned himself in to police at Woodlands Checkpoint.
A psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) discovered that Krishnan suffered from a jealous-type delusional disorder, which substantially affected his mental responsibility for the act.
Despite the fact that Krishnan’s wife had hidden their affair from the family, the psychiatrist discovered that Krishnan did not have any concrete evidence to conclude that his wife was unfaithful.
The psychiatrist also found evidence of distress and impaired functioning, as Krishnan was so concerned about his wife’s infidelity that he could not cope with his driving jobs and began drinking heavily in the weeks leading up to the offense.
The prosecution had requested 12 years in prison while the defense requested a maximum of eight.
The judge agreed with the prosecution’s psychiatrist’s diagnosis that Krishnan was suffering from acute alcohol intoxication at the time, which contributed to the crime and affected his attention or memory.
“I also note that the defendant was, and is, sorry,” Judge Hoo said. “This is demonstrated by his suicide attempts after the attack, his surrender to the authorities the next day, his expressions of remorse in his statements and his plea of guilt.”
For wrongful death that does not amount to murder, you could have been jailed for life.
