Singaporean man accused of smothering his ‘nagging’ wife to death in UK says he can’t remember killing her

August 9, 2022

A Singaporean man accused of smothering his wife to death while on vacation said he has no recollection of the incident last year.

Fong Soong Hert, 51, allegedly murdered his wife Pek Ying Ling, 51, by suffocating her with a pillow to stop her from “nagging him” at the County Aparthotel in Newcastle, England, on Dec. 6, 2021.

The couple, who had been married for 27 years, were on holiday in Europe and planned to meet up with their sons during the trip. When they were in the Isle of Skye, Fong had injured himself during a fall. He also fell another three times in Newcastle, prompting Pek to “scold him for not taking care of himself,” according to the prosecutor.

Fong reportedly visited a hospital and was on medication for the pain he suffered. His wife was not happy with him as he continued to smoke while he was unwell. At the Newcastle hotel, Pek discussed changing their holiday plans due to Fong’s condition. However, Fong said he wanted the conversation to end as he was in pain.

“He lost his temper, he snapped and he smothered her to death, apparently to stop her scolding him or nagging him or to keep her quiet,” the prosecutor said.

“I have hurt your mother. She’s gone. She’s dead,” Fong reportedly messaged his son, who was studying in a university in Newcastle. “I just lost it. I tried to cover her mouth to shush her. I just lost it.”

Fong pleaded guilty to manslaughter on March 18. Although he accepted killing his wife, he told the Newcastle Crown Court on Monday that he has no recollection of the incident.

“I don’t remember, I really want to, I cannot explain,” he said. “I’m really desperate to understand what happened and what went wrong.”

“I cannot come to terms with it, but I accept that I caused her death,” Fong added. “I cannot believe that there’s anything that she can say or do that can make me so mad.”

The 51-year-old denied intentionally causing serious harm or killing Pek.

According to Prosecutor Peter Makepeace, Fong was taken to Cramlington Hospital for a CT scan and an examination of his neurological state after the incident, which found no signs of a blackout or lost consciousness. Makepeace also added that Fong’s lack of memory only surfaced after he had spoken to his lawyers.

When Fong was asked if he was choosing how much to reveal, he said, “If I can, I would admit everything. I think it’s easier for my family and my sons to just get mad at me, rather than going through all of these emotions.”

The trial is still ongoing. In Britain, the maximum penalty for murder or manslaughter is life imprisonment.

Featured Image via Alexis Fong

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