Woman, 60, found dead at Sembawang block, neighbour heard her arguing with boyfriend
A 60-year-old woman who was found dead at the foot of an HDB block in Sembawang on March 10 was heard arguing with a man believed to be her boyfriend shortly before her death.
The woman was suspected to have fallen from the eighth floor of Block 364A Sembawang Crescent, which houses rental units.
Responding to Stomp's queries, police said they were alerted to the case at about 5pm. The woman was conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where she subsequently died.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed it conveyed one person to Woodlands Hospital.
When Shin Min Daily News arrived at the scene, four or five police cars were parked at the scene, and police cordoned off the walkway below the HDB block.
Officers were seen in the corridor while investigators entered and exited a corner unit.
Neighbour heard argument
Ms Zhong (transliterated), 25, who lives on the same floor, told Shin Min she had heard shouting outside her unit.
Looking through her door's peephole, she saw a man and a woman engaged in a heated argument. Shin Min understands the man is 66 years old and in a romantic relationship with the woman.
"They are my neighbours. The two argued for a few minutes then stopped," Ms Zhong said, confirming that the pair lived together.
"After that, I heard screaming from downstairs and thought someone had jumped."
She later looked down from her window and saw a shoe on the ground.
Police seize table found in corridor
When police arrived and began interviewing residents, officers asked Ms Zhong whether a table in the corridor belonged to her.
"That table has always been placed outside and kept folded, but it was open today," she said, adding that police also checked whether the table had footprints on it.
Ms Zhong said she did not see how the woman fell as she remained inside her unit the entire time.
However, she said she later overheard the man telling police that he had just returned from Sun Plaza, a nearby shopping centre — which puzzled her.
"But I clearly heard them arguing outside before the incident," she said.
After a six-hour investigation, police seized the folding table from the corridor as evidence.
Several people told Shin Min the woman still showed signs of life after the fall and was rushed to the hospital.
At about 11pm, Shin Min reporters spotted a man being led out of the unit by three police officers, apparently to assist with investigations.
Ms Zhong confirmed the man was the same person she had seen arguing with the woman earlier.
Man returned to unit the next afternoon
When reporters returned the next morning, two takeout boxes were seen hanging outside the unit but no one answered the door.
The man returned in the afternoon, believed to have been escorted back by police, and left again about 10 minutes later.
When approached, he initially said that "someone had jumped from the building". Later, he said he had returned to retrieve something from the flat before turning and closing the door.
When he came out again minutes later, he walked away saying: "I don't know. I'm busy. Don't ask me!"
Woman borrowed money and took cigarettes from neighbours
An 80-year-old neighbour, Mr Hu, told Shin Min that the woman was often seen borrowing money from neighbours.
He said his wife had previously warned the woman that a police report would be lodged if she asked for money again.
"I saw the two of them pass by yesterday. They don't work, and the woman is always borrowing money from neighbours," Mr Hu said.
Another neighbour, Mr Zhong, 25, shared that he had moved in 10 days earlier when the woman approached him for a cigarette.
When she asked him for money the following day, Mr Zhong declined.
The case has been classified as an unnatural death. Police investigations are ongoing.
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