By Ong Dai Lin | Posted: 12
April 2011 1237 hrs
SINGAPORE: Eu Lim Hoklai, who had been sentenced to
death for murdering his China-born girlfriend in 2006, was
acquitted by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
The court said the prosecution had not been able to satisfactorily
explain why it was a pre-meditated murder.
They, instead, found him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting
to murder. He will be sentenced at a later date.
The Court added there was a lack of satisfactory evidence
concerning the origins of the murder weapon, a knife, and how it
appeared at the massage parlour where Madam Yu Hongjin, 30, was
killed.
The Court said because of the lack of clarity, and the worrying
gaps in the prosecution's case on what had actually happened, it
would be unsafe to conclude that this was a case of murder.
Eu's sister and mother were in court and told reporters they were
happy with the outcome.
His elder sister said it was a fair decision.
She said: "As a sister, I know my brother. He has never lost his
temper since young. He's a good man but everyone makes mistakes in
the heat of the moment."
His 86-year-old mother said she has been crying every day and could
not eat.
-CNA