Singapore sentences teen to 16 years’ jail for killing River Valley High schoolmate with axe
- The depressed student intended to hurt more pupils, but could not bring himself to after killing Ethan Hun Zhe Kai, 13, in 2021
- The victim’s parents said they wanted everyone to remember Ethan fondly
In delivering the sentence, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng said: “No matter how severe, depression cannot be a licence to kill or harm others.”
The judge said that the case was “without precedent”, occurring in a school environment where young people “ought to feel the safest”.
She noted that both the prosecution and the teen’s lawyers were in agreement that this offence did not warrant life imprisonment, as the teen did not pose a long term threat to society.
However, the judge emphasised that the teen was highly culpable for his actions as he retained control of the situation and exhibited a “chilling degree” of premeditation, cold logic and planning.
Earlier, the court heard that the teenager was driven by depression and suicidal thoughts and went to school with an axe, intending to pick a victim “entirely at random” and carry out a plan which would result in his own death when police intervened in the life-threatening situation.