SINGAPORE - A former property agent killed his pregnant wife and four-year-old daughter because he"lost it" after being provoked when his wife belittled him in front of the girl, his lawyer argued in the High Court on Friday .
Moreover, Teo's daughter was playing with her toys and watching TV at the time and had clearly not provoked him, the DPP said, in response to the defence's argument that the girl was"an active participant in the provocation" as she witnessed her father's shame. Teo was tried on two counts of murder, for killing his wife Choong Pei Shan, 39, a housewife, and daughter Zi Ning at their Woodlands flat on Jan 20, 2017.
Teo, who used to earn $20,000 a month as a real estate agent, saw his income drop when the property market cooled. In late 2016, he took on another job as a sales coordinator with a renovation company. Incensed, he strangled her with a towel, then with his hands. He then decided to kill Zi Ning in the same way.Although he admitted to the killings, Teo argued that his major depressive disorder diminished his responsibility for his acts and that he lost control due to provocation.