Psychiatrist to be questioned over mental state of man who stabbed landlord in Yishun

SINGAPORE – Prosecutors on Oct 29 asked the High Court to acquit a 52-year-old man who fatally attacked his landlord with three knives and a chopper after taking illicit pills because he was assessed to be of unsound mind at the time.

But Justice Philip Jeyaretnam said he found it difficult to reconcile the three reports issued by the psychiatrist, which appear to go back and forth on whether Affendi Yusoff was of unsound mind while he was intoxicated with dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant.

“I’m not particularly satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the accused did not know the nature of his act,” the judge said.

He wanted to question the psychiatrist in court, and adjourned the hearing to a later date.

On Oct 29, Affendi pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for killing 35-year-old Fiqri Choo Iskandar at their 10th-floor flat at Yishun Ring Road on July 27, 2024.

The prosecution and the defence agreed that he was of unsound mind at the time of the offence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Wuan said Affendi should be acquitted by operation of law because he was incapable of knowing the nature of his acts.

Affendi, an odd-job labourer, was released from prison on June 11, 2024, after serving a five-year corrective training regime for repeat offenders.

His sister arranged for him to rent a bedroom from the victim.

The night before the fatal attack, Affendi took more than 90 pills containing dextromethorphan. He bought the pills near MacPherson MRT station.

Between about 7.50am and 8.40am on July 27, 2024, Affendi repeatedly attacked the victim with three knives and a chopper, shortly after the two of them took a photo together.

When the police arrived at the scene, Affendi was found seated next to the victim’s body near the lift lobby, and arrested.

The victim suffered 97 external injuries and died from a stab wound to the chest and slash wounds to the head.

Affendi was initially assessed to be of unsound mind due to dextromethorphan use.

A second psychiatric report, issued after a crime scene reconstruction indicated activity of a clean-up, said he was likely not of unsound mind at the time.

The third report said it was highly possible that he was of unsound mind but regained his mental faculties after the assault ended.