SINGAPORE — The man accused of killing his twins in 2022 pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Aug 15) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and admitted he had strangled the boys and submerged their faces in the canal to ensure they were really dead.

He then attempted to kill himself by stabbing himself with an ice pick in his stomach, chest and back. When he was unsuccessful, he used a tree branch and a rock to hit his own head.

Xavier Yap Jung Houn, 49, believed that killing his sons, who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, would take away his wife's burdens.

He also feared that no one would take care of the boys after he and his wife died, and was worried that they would be bullied by others.

On Jan 21, 2022, Xavier Yap decided to carry out his plan to kill his sons and commit suicide.

He drove the boys to the playground at Greenridge Crescent, which was near his flat at Toh Tuck Road.

The boys played for around 10 minutes before he carried them one by one into a canal near the field.

There, he picked up a stick and pressed it hard against Ethan's neck. When the stick broke, he strangled Ethan by placing his forearm across his neck and pressing down.