Sumiyati, a 53-year-old Indonesian domestic worker, was sentenced to life imprisonment on July 29 after being convicted of murdering her employer’s 73-year-old father in his Bishan Street 23 home in 2022. According to court records, the caregiver suffocated the wheelchair-bound victim with a pillow as he slept because she was angered by accusations that she had stolen his wife’s jewellery.
Trial Details and Judicial Findings on the Bishan Murder Case
Justice Mavis Chionh stated that the prosecution successfully proved Sumiyati committed murder, noting that the central question was whether the court should exercise discretion to impose the maximum penalty of death. According to Justice Chionh, while the killing was a horrific tragedy, the case did not involve viciousness or a blatant disregard for human life. Defence lawyer Mohamed Muzammil Mohamed explained in mitigation that the helper was a divorcee with three children who had lost money to scams involving three different men, leading her to steal and borrow from the family to cover her financial losses. Sumiyati also claimed in court that she was under the control of hypnosis and black magic by a scammer who suggested she steal from her employers.
The victim’s daughter originally employed Sumiyati in September 2019 to care for her 73-year-old father, who lived with his wife and daughter and had mobility issues. By 2021, the employers extended her contract and increased her salary due to satisfactory service, and Sumiyati noted that the elderly man was caring and gentle toward her. However, by late 2021, Sumiyati began requesting salary advances and borrowed money from the elderly couple under the false pretext of covering family medical costs in Indonesia.
The Escalation to Theft and the Fatal Confrontation
Between April 12 and April 21, 2022, Sumiyati stole three gold rings, a gold bracelet, and a pair of gold earrings from the employer’s mother, pawning the items for more than $1,400 at a shop near the Bishan flat. When the family discovered the missing items, Sumiyati confessed, handed over the pawnshop ticket, and pleaded with them not to file a police report, promising to redeem the jewellery with her salary. The family decided to give her a chance.
On April 28, 2022, Sumiyati stole $150 from the victim’s wallet during lunch and remitted the cash to an Indonesia bank account. Upon her return, the wheelchair-bound man questioned her about his wife’s missing necklace for roughly 30 minutes, urging her to confess or face a police report. Fearing exposure of her earlier theft and angered by the accusations, Sumiyati decided to kill him.
Did You Know? Sumiyati waited until she heard the 73-year-old man snoring before covering his face with a pillow and forcefully pressing it down for approximately 30 minutes to ensure he was dead.
After the attack, Sumiyati took $70 from the victim’s wallet, his two mobile phones, and a pair of his wife’s earrings before leaving the flat. The victim’s wife returned that evening to find her husband unresponsive and cold to the touch, leading to Sumiyati’s arrest at around midnight on April 29, 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sentence did Sumiyati receive?
Sumiyati was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of murder on July 29.
Where did the attack take place?
The attack occurred in 2022 at the family’s home in Bishan Street 23.
Why did Sumiyati attack the victim?
According to court proceedings, she was angered by the 73-year-old man’s questions accusing her of stealing his wife’s jewellery and feared he would discover she had stolen money from the flat earlier that day.
How do financial pressures and online scams impact the safety and stability of domestic care arrangements in residential households?
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