Singaporean gets life in prison for killing Chinese lover, burning her body over 3 days

Leslie Khoo killed Cui Yajie after arguing with her at Gardens by the Bay because she was threatening to expose his lies to his bosses

This was only the second case in the city state’s legal history since 1966 where an offender was convicted of murder in the absence of a body

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Chinese national Cui Yajie. Photo: Handout

Published: 1:57pm, 19 Aug 2019Updated: 11:10pm, 19 Aug 2019

A Singaporean man who strangled his lover to death at a secluded spot at Gardens by the Bay East, then burned her body over three days, was sentenced to life behind bars on Monday.

Former retail outlet manager Leslie Khoo Kwee Hock, 51, was found guilty last month of the 2016 murder. He faced either life imprisonment or the death penalty.

As he is above 50 years old, he cannot be caned by law.

Throughout the 11-day trial, the High Court heard how Khoo had killed his former lover Cui Yajie, a 31-year-old Chinese engineer, on July 12, 2016. He then took her body to a remote spot in Lim Chu Kang and burnt it over three days, until nothing was left but some of her hair, a brassiere hook and bits of charred fabric from her dress.

The married father had fed her multiple lies during their relationship and leading up to her death, telling her that he was single and that he owned the laundry firm he worked for.

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