A 44-year-old man was on Tuesday (June 3) charged with the murder of a 79-year-old woman at a residential unit along Fernvale Road in Sengkang. 

Lim Yuen Li, who was arrested on Sunday (June 1), was handed one count of murder at the State Court.  Wang How Khiew was killed in a flat at Block 465B Fernvale Road between 2am and 10.30am on June 1, reported The Straits Times. The victim is believed to be Lim's mother. The court has ordered for Lim to be remanded for psychiatric assessment at the Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre. 

Lim had asked the court if he could attend the woman's funeral and added that he wanted to apply for a state lawyer, reported CNA. He also requested to use his mobile phone to make calls. 

In a statement to the media on Monday night (June 2), the police said that they received a call for assistance at the unit at about 11.48am. 

"Upon police's arrival, officers found the 79-year-old woman lying motionless inside the unit. She was subsequent pronounced dead by Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedics at the scene."

The 44-year-old man had on Sunday called veteran undertaker Roland Tay from Direct Funeral Services at about 10.30am to ask for a doctor to certify his mother's death and to handle the funeral.

Tay told AsiaOne earlier that he asked the accused how his mother died and was told that she had fallen. 

On further probing, the accused said that there was bleeding. 

"I told him that if there is blood he will have to call for the police or an ambulance.

"If the police says its okay, we (Direct Funeral Services) can continue to handle the funeral matters", said Tay.

Tay added that he called the accused at around 1.30pm after waiting for about three hours without any update and was told by the accused that the police was around and would call again, but never did. 

"The police called me at around 2 or 3pm, and asked me if I received a call from the accused. They wanted to know what he said, whether he cried, and whether he sounded sad."

"I told them that it was like a normal conversation and he sounded normal," said Tay, a veteran with more than 50 years of experience in the funeral services industry. 

The offence of murder carries the death penalty.

Lim's case will be mentioned again in court on June 24. 

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editor@asiaone.com