Double murdercase in Singapore, Briton accused

[dot dot dot]

Last week Briton Michael McCrea arrived in Singapore, now he is charged here in Singapore for double murder. His extradition from Australia after 3 years of legal issues was only allowed by Australia, after Singapore guranteed not to sentence him to death, when being found guilty.

Oct 5, 2005
Psychiatric test for British double-murder suspect

SINGAPORE - A British businessman accused of strangling his Singaporean driver and a Chinese woman will undergo psychiatric tests after claiming he was suffering from mental stress, court officials said on Wednesday.


McCrea's (above) lawyer said that he was still 'suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder' at the time of the alleged murders.


Psychiatric test for British double-murder suspect
Michael McCrea's lawyer, Mr Kelvin Lim, told the court in a pre-trial hearing his client had no objections to being sent for the tests after public prosecutors asked for a psychiatric assessment.

Speaking to reporters after a brief session, he said McCrea was still 'suffering from what we call post-traumatic stress disorder' as a result of a fight with his driver, Mr Kho Nai Guan, at the time of the alleged murders.

Accused of starngling victims
He is accused of strangling the 46-year-old driver and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Chinese national Lan Ya Ming, in his apartment during a dispute on January 2, 2002. Their bodies were found stashed in an abandoned car.

The former insurance salesman from Nottingham fled with his Singaporean girlfriend to Australia via Britain after the killings and was in custody in Melbourne from July 2002 until last month, when he was extradited to Singapore.

He was extradited after Australian authorities dismissed his appeals following an undertaking by the city-state that he would not be executed if found guilty of murder.

Girlfriend serving 12 years
Australia, which does not have the death penalty, does not extradite suspects who could be executed in another country. Death by hanging is the normal penalty for murder in Singapore.

McCrea's girlfriend Audrey Ong consented to extradition and is now serving a 12-year sentence here after admitting in 2003 to helping dispose of the bodies. -- AFP

Mc Crea earlier has declared he did kill the victims, but out of self defense.

I find this case of course quite horrible, as it is a double murdercase, but at the same time interesting in that sense, that it is the first time Singapore has given in on a demand from another country to not sentence a murderer to death.

I am not a legal specialist or lawyer, but I assume Singapore can't sentence him to death now, it would be illegal and not done. But this will then also be jurisprudence for future cases of murder.

Will future convicted murderers also not being sentenced to death anymore?

For me the biggest legislation of the death sentence is to secure the society of murderers and alike, and in my opinion those who take lives should be given the same treatment, thus death penalty. (murderers, drug traffickers).

This guy is for sure going to be convicted for the murders, I am sure of that. What will he been given? Life sentence most likely I guess. Is that justice, when others are being sentenced to death with committed crimes alike?

How is Singapore going to deal with this?

Eric

[Bubbles]

If he does get the death sentence levelled on him in Singapore, which is almost certain, as he has admitted to it, does this mean LIFE or will it be a 8, 10 or 12 year stint as it sometimes can be here in the UK?

[T2K]

If he does get sentenced to death, it will have to be immediately commuted through some special circumstances to life, as per the agreement with Australia. But, life in prison here is life in prison.

[beenhere10years]

How is Singapore going to deal with this?

Well, if the extradition was based on an agreement that Singapore would not impose the death penalty, than I'm sure they will hold up there end of the bargain. In the court of regional and world politics, they must.

Since the seed of self-defense and reasonable doubt have been planted, I guess Singapore can save face by getting him on a lesser charge, if convicted at all, that would not carry the death penalty. Everyone is happy (not including his victims of course). As a reported drug deal gone bad, the victims in this have sullied reputations. That willalso make it easier to give him a lighter sentence.

I say, (as a strong opposer th the death penalty in general), Bravo Australia! Good on you!

[teabag]

Whatever.
Just make sure he's kicked out of Singapore never to return after he serve the time.
Maybe he can stay in Australia. lol . . .

[beenhere10years]

Whatever.
Just make sure he's kicked out of Singapore never to return after he serve the time.
Maybe he can stay in Australia. lol . . .

Pithy.

[sapphire]

I say, (as a strong opposer th the death penalty in general), Bravo Australia! Good on you!

Eerier it gets BH10Y! Have always been against capital punishment as well!

[beenhere10years]

Duh!

[sapphire]

[beenhere10years]

Double

[Viceroy Isabel Kebab Iota]

For me the biggest legislation of the death sentence is to secure the society of murderers and alike, and in my opinion those who take lives should be given the same treatment, thus death penalty. (murderers, drug traffickers).Eric

My aha! moment: the death penalty has been abolished in the Netherlands since 1870. Just one of the many reasons why Singapore appeals to you more than it does me. It's a grand thing, when the puzzle pieces fit together with an audible click!

[ringo100]

This is common. The UK only extradites people if the death penalty is withdrawn.

Singapore have not lost face at all. They would not be able to try him if this agreement had not been made.

But it’s a shame because I think there is something very archaic about killing your prisoners. I wonder if they always get it right. I hope so.

[Plavt]

For me the biggest legislation of the death sentence is to secure the society of murderers and alike, and in my opinion those who take lives should be given the same treatment, thus death penalty. (murderers, drug traffickers).

That may be fine for Singapore whose judiciary I know little about, but here in the UK there have been far too may wrongful convictions and likely more will materialize. Regarding murder, I think much depends on the circumstances in which it was committed. For example 'heat of the moment murders' are unintentional and how to deal with such is debateable. As for drug traffickers I am rather cynical about the punishments meted out as the real dealers are rarely if ever around to be caught. The usual story is they use a third party to transport the cargo. The argument then becomes such people should know better but do they?



http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6142/angel.html

[dot dot dot]

For me the biggest legislation of the death sentence is to secure the society of murderers and alike, and in my opinion those who take lives should be given the same treatment, thus death penalty. (murderers, drug traffickers).Eric

My aha! moment: the death penalty has been abolished in the Netherlands since 1870. Just one of the many reasons why Singapore appeals to you more than it does me. It's a grand thing, when the puzzle pieces fit together with an audible click!

A bit too easy if not simplistic 'Vicky' (gee, how you want me to call you now? Vicky, Isa, Kebab???).

Having my ideas about the death penalty whilst being a Dutchman doesnot automatically make me so happy in Singapore, does it?

One thing I strongly oppose, or even it disgusts me, is the typical Dutch thought of criminals being victimised and showing sympathy for them. Poor guy with a bad time when growing up.... Yeah right, no way, society is to be protected, not the criminals.

By the way, your nose has slightly lost size somehow it seems?

Eric

[Viceroy Isabel Kebab Iota]

How about The Viceroy?

Hey. Listen. I'm no bleeding heart liberal. And God knows if someone ever hurt someone close to me I would want to shoot them myself (and probably will, as I tend to shoot first and ask questions later). The time to make that decision is not when you are victimised, but when you are rational. What does your rational heart say? You. Eric, who shows kindness to the most base of posters? I can't see your hand on the switch ready to through all that voltage into some other human being, just can't see it.