• Andy Koh Ju Hua began abusing his mother in 2017
• She decided to reveal his acts only in June 2020
• She refused to file police reports sooner in order not to jeopardise his future
• A prosecutor revealed more of what Koh had done to her, beyond the charges pressed against him
• Koh reiterated his hope of reuniting with his mother

SINGAPORE — He abused his 68-year-old mother, starved her and assaulted her private parts with a metal padlock and his knee.

Andy Koh Ju Hua, 30, was on Tuesday (March 23) put behind bars for 56 weeks, or about a year and one month.

The prosecution asked for a higher sentence than what it earlier sought, in light of fresh facts about abuses that went beyond the charges pressed against him. 

These included allowing his mother to drink only plain water at home, once demanding that she stand by the sink and hold an ice pack to her face overnight, and hitting her head with a remote control.

Noting that Koh’s offences had caused much public disquiet, District Judge Kessler Soh told the court: “We cannot understand why he brought himself to abuse and assault his mother in such a cruel manner.

“The manner in which he ill-treated his mother was abhorrent and he must receive a punishment according to law. But, beyond that, he must receive treatment for his psychotic disorder to address the underlying issues of his offending and minimise the risk of reoffending upon serving his sentence.” 

The judge agreed with the prosecution that a substantial jail term was warranted to reflect the pain, suffering and harm caused, while taking into account an Institute of Mental Health psychiatrist’s findings that Koh’s psychotic disorder likely substantially contributed to his crimes.

District Judge Soh also explained why he reversed his decision to call for a report to assess Koh’s suitability for a mandatory treatment order, a community sentencing option offered to offenders with mental health conditions that contributed to their crimes. 

Koh, who was studying for a master’s degree in history at the National University of Singapore (NUS), pleaded guilty last week to four counts of voluntarily causing hurt. 

One of the charges fell under newly enhanced provisions that kicked in on Jan 1 last year, which doubled penalties for victims in close relationships with accused persons. He had committed that offence in June last year.

The maximum jail term for that charge is six years. Community-based sentences, however, are generally available for crimes that carry only up to three years in prison, District Judge Soh said. 

He will also convene a community court conference to consider the protective measures that can be taken to protect Koh’s mother, and determine the psychiatric treatment Koh can receive in prison and after his release.

MORE ABUSE BEYOND CHARGES

In light of new facts, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Magdalene Huang on Tuesday asked for at least 50 weeks’ jail, up from the prosecution’s earlier sentencing position of 30 weeks’ imprisonment. 

She relied on two reports by family violence specialist centre Pave, which revealed new facts on how Koh abused his mother, beyond what the charges against him covered:

• He allowed her to drink only plain water at home

• He berated her continuously when he caught his father secretly washing his pillowcase

• Once, Koh’s mother reported that after he punched her on the face, he demanded that she stand by the sink and hold an ice pack to her face overnight for 12 hours. He watched her from his room and threatened to hit her if her hands moved

• He hit her head with a remote control, leaving a scar on her forehead

• He threatened to strike her genitals with a hammer

• He took steps to avoid detection by banning her from answering the door and being seen by their neighbours, as well as mandating that she hide or retreat if their neighbours were around

• He allowed her to wear only old torn clothing at home, so she would find it difficult to escape and seek help

She told Pave that she believed he targeted her private parts so the injuries would be hidden.

DPP Huang noted the “sustained pattern of abuse” and urged District Judge Soh to consider these new facts in assessing the extent of the victim’s suffering.

In response, Koh disputed two points.

He said that his mother did not answer the door as she felt it was unnecessary to speak to Pave’s social workers, and that he did not threaten to strike her with a hammer as they did not have one at home.

He told the court that he planned to return to NUS to complete his master’s course.

Koh emphasised again his hope to be reunited with his mother after undergoing treatment.

“Regarding all the silly things I did to her, I plead guilty. 

“I also don’t know why I committed all the silly things to her… I want to live happily with her and take care of her in her remaining days,” he said.

In response to TODAY’s queries on Tuesday, an NUS spokesperson said that the university terminated Koh’s candidature in January.

This was because he had been on leave of absence since August 2019 and did not return after his leave expired.

THE CASE

The court earlier heard that Koh lived with his parents, and began abusing his mother in 2017. 

He starved her and stopped her from showering or making noise when he was stressed with his studies.

In the early years of the abuse, his mother refused to file police reports because she did not want to jeopardise her son's future, and sought refuge intermittently with her nephew and niece.

She was hospitalised thrice and placed in a safe house, but insisted each time on returning to her family. 

In January 2018, Koh used his kneecap to hit his mother's vaginal area. She was found by her niece in an unkempt state and complaining of pain in her lower regions.

Her niece wanted to call the police, but the victim stopped her. When she went to the hospital, she said she had fallen down, so as not to implicate her son.

A medical report noted extensive bruising over her abdomen, buttocks, lower limbs and external genitalia. She was started on intravenous antibiotics and discharged later that month.

Koh assaulted his mother again in December 2018 by hitting her face with his hands at their family home. He also hit her vaginal area multiple times with a metal padlock, hooking the item around his finger to strike her.

She did not retaliate, as he felt angry over certain issues. She was found with swelling on her body and blood stains on her gown over her vaginal area.

She went to the hospital, which alerted the police. Yet she told the police that her injuries were due to a fall in the toilet.

A medical report found bruising on her nose, lower lip, jaw, chin and pubic region, with post-menopausal vaginal bleeding.

In June last year, Koh called his mother over at home before suddenly punching her mouth thrice. She began bleeding and ran out of the flat out of desperation.

She sought help from her relatives, who described her as sunken, thin, frail and dirty. There were bruises on her face, and her nephew called the police to say his aunt was abused by her son and she was distraught.

When she went to the hospital this time, she said her son was responsible for her injuries.

For each of the first three charges of voluntarily causing hurt, Koh could have been jailed up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or punished with both.

For the last charge, he could have been jailed up to three years or fined up to S$5,000, or given both penalties.

The punishment for this charge could have been doubled since he caused hurt to a person with whom he was in an intimate relationship.