By Ong Dai Lin | Posted: 12 April 2011 1237 hrs
SINGAPORE: Eu Lim
Hoklai, who had been sentenced to death for murdering his China-born
girlfriend in 2006, was acquitted by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
The court said the prosecution had not been able to satisfactorily explain why it was a pre-meditated murder.
They, instead, found him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He will be sentenced at a later date.
The
Court added there was a lack of satisfactory evidence concerning the
origins of the murder weapon, a knife, and how it appeared at the
massage parlour where Madam Yu Hongjin, 30, was killed.
The
Court said because of the lack of clarity, and the worrying gaps in the
prosecution's case on what had actually happened, it would be unsafe to
conclude that this was a case of murder.
Eu's sister and mother were in court and told reporters they were happy with the outcome.
His elder sister said it was a fair decision.
She
said: "As a sister, I know my brother. He has never lost his temper
since young. He's a good man but everyone makes mistakes in the heat of
the moment."
His 86-year-old mother said she has been crying every day and could not eat.
-CNA