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SINGAPORE – A domestic worker, who admitted to a reduced murder charge in April for killing her employer, has changed her mind and now wants to rely on psychiatric evidence in hopes of avoiding life in prison.
On Monday (September 21), the High Court allowed 28-year-old Daryati to request the annulment of her murder conviction, after her lawyer told the court that she “wishes to be heard in defense of diminished liability.”
The case will now be scheduled for trial to resume where it left off.
If the court accepts that Daryati suffered from a mental condition that lessened his responsibility for the murder, he will face life in prison or imprisonment of up to 20 years for wrongful death.
The content of the defense’s psychiatric report has not yet been revealed in a public hearing.
Daryati’s lawyer, Mr. Mohamed Muzammil Mohamed, later told The Straits Times that his client felt that “life imprisonment is heavy.”
The Indonesian does not dispute that she had repeatedly stabbed and stabbed Madam Seow Kim Choo at her home in Telok Kurau on June 7, 2016.
The attack left the 59-year-old victim with more than 90 stab wounds.
Daryati was originally tried for murder under Section 300 (a) of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death penalty.
The trial took place over 17 days between April 23 of last year and March 4 of this year, and the prosecution has not yet closed the case.
On April 6, the prosecution reduced the charge to murder under Section 300 (c), which carries life in prison or the death penalty.
However, prosecutors told the court that they would not seek the death penalty.
The case was postponed for Muzammil to prepare a mitigation brief.
The attorney told ST that his client instructed to mount a defense of diminished liability while he prepared his plea of mitigation.
Daryati faces a second charge for attempting to murder Madame Seow’s husband, Mr. Ong Thiam Soon, then 57 years old. This charge has been dropped for now.
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