Woman who stood to gain from man's life insurance convicted for aiding his suicide and lying about it
David Sun
The Straits Times
Sept 13, 2024
A funeral director who stood to benefit from her former boyfriend's $1 million life insurance policy has been convicted of helping him end his life and lying about how he died.
Alverna Cher Sheue Pin was found guilty on Sept 13 of intentionally aiding the suicide of Mr Sean Wee Jun Xiang, 32, on May 16, 2020, and obstructing the course of justice.
The 42-year-old director of City Funeral Singapore and Christian Funeral Singapore was first charged in December 2020 with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The charge was reduced in October 2021 to aiding Mr Wee's suicide.
The single mother of two had planned to plead guilty in July 2023, but changed her mind and claimed trial to the two charges.
During the trial, Cher denied assisting Mr Wee as he ended his life in a car at Block 145A Bedok Reservoir Road.
However, District Judge Shawn Ho noted contradictions in her statements to the police, where she had admitted to being in the car and also assisting Mr Wee in the act.
The judge concluded that Mr Wee had killed himself by nitrogen gas inhalation, and the evidence showed Cher had intentionally aided him.
The pair started a romantic relationship in 2019, and he made her a beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy he purchased.
She was to receive 20 per cent of the payout.
From February 2020 to May 2020, Mr Wee made plans to end his life and make his death appear natural. Cher claimed at the trial that her former boyfriend had been upset because he lost money in various investments.
Mr Wee also considered his funeral arrangements and financial provisions for his surviving family members and Cher.
On May 16, 2020, Mr Wee collected a nitrogen gas tank and went to the carpark in Bedok Reservoir Road. He told Cher to turn up at 2pm and texted "commencing" to her.
Cher arrived at around 1.45pm in a van and found Mr Wee still alive. Donning latex gloves to prevent her prints from being left behind, she entered the car and sat with him.
Prosecutors said that instead of calling the police or seeking help, she released more gas from the tank.
Although Cher denied that she had assisted Mr Wee, the judge noted that she contradicted herself. In statements she gave to the police, she admitted to turning the valve of the gas tank "about four to five times".
She also said that Mr Wee had helped move the nitrogen tank from the car into her van before he returned to the car to lie down in the driver's seat.
Cher left Mr Wee alone in the car after that. She returned at around 4pm and found him dead.
She then got one Lawrence Cheo Oon Hooi to drive the van away.
Cher initially lied to the police that Mr Wee had been complaining of chest discomfort in the two weeks leading up to the incident.
She later claimed that she had tried to dissuade him from ending his life.
Cher was found guilty of intentionally aiding Mr Wee's suicide and obstructing the course of justice by asking another man to drive the van containing the nitrogen tank away, disposing of evidence and lying to the police.
She is out on a $100,000 bail and is expected to be back in court on Oct 11 for mitigation and sentencing.
For aiding Mr Wee's suicide, she may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
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