By Chong Shin Yen

HE WANTED her to have a better life and married her off to a Singaporean. But this is the one decision that he will regret for the rest of his life.

The better life that Mr Wu Jin Chi, 57, had in mind for her here was not to be.

His daughter, Wu Yun Yun, 27, a Chinese national, will spend the next 16 years in jail for killing her brother-in-law, Mr Tan Lead Sane, 33, and stabbing his wife, Madam Huang Mei Zhe, 36,on 28 Jun last year.

Mr Wu, a farmer, told The New Paper that he is now filled with guilt.

He said in Mandarin: "I was the one who arranged her marriage and sent her here despite her reluctance.

"She doesn't blame me but I blame myself. I caused her to suffer so much."

Mr Wu added that during her seven years here, Wu had told her elder sister that she was unhappy, but the family did not think that things would spiral out of control.

Wu is married to Mr Tan Lead Shake, 41, nicknamed the "Slipper Man" after he showed up in slippers on Nomination Day during the 1997 general election.

Wu, now a Singapore permanent resident, had snapped because she was jealous of Lead Sane, a computer engineer, and Madam Huang. She felt they had a blessed life with love and strong support from her mother- in-law, Madam Ng Bee Hion, 63.

She harboured thoughts of killing the couple so that Madam Ng would suffer the pain of losing her loved ones, the court was told earlier.

Dr George Joseph Fernandez from the Institute of Mental Health diagnosed her to be suffering from major depressive disorder. The case was heard before Justice Kan Ting Chiu in April but was adjourned for Dr Fernandez to monitor Wu's mental state and evaluate her chances of recovery.

Yesterday, Dr Fernandez told the court that Wu has shown significant improvement. Her mood and appetite are better, and she was not overly tearful during his two interviews with her.

She also acknowledged the wrong she had done and was full of regret.

Wu told Dr Fernandez: "Even if I live to the age of 80, I would still think of it (the incident that day). Before my offence, (I felt) they had wronged me. After my offence, (I felt) I had done them wrong. What I'd done is much worse than what they'd done."

She told Dr Fernandez that her priority was to see her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

He said: "Secondly, she said that she wants her husband's permission to look after the family she'd caused so much pain and difficulties, her way of atonement."

He said he set up an appointment with Wu's husband to see what kind of social support she had, but he did not turn up.

He added that she needs to continue with her medication and undergo regular reviews by the prison psychiatrist.

While she may have a relapse, it is unlikely that she will re-offend.

Wu's lawyers, Mr Subhas Anandan and Mr Sunil Sudheesan, told the court that Wu's family is committed to looking after her when she returns to China.

During the hearing, Mr Wu, who was seated at the front of the public gallery, leaned forward to hear what the lawyers were saying, even though he did not understand English. At times, he appeared anxious, and kept looking at his daughter in the dock.

Earlier, Wu broke into a huge smile when her father and younger brother, 24, waved to her as she was led to the dock. They had arrived in Singapore on Sunday to support her.

Many quarrels

In Wu's mitigation, Mr Anandan said that her unhappiness had stemmed from the ill-treatment by her in-laws.

He said that since January last year, Lead Sane and his wife, Madam Huang Mei Zhe, 36, would hit Wu's children at least three times a week.

The couple would also often scold her children. This resulted in many quarrels with her in-laws, who supported Lead Sane and Madam Huang.

Mr Anandan added that Wu's husband would back his parents and scold her if she spent more than $3.50 on food. Wu was also not allowed to leave the home often.

She had been a reluctant bride, who was only 19 when she left her hometown in Putian, Fujian province, in 2001.

Mr Tan Lead Shake's father, Mr Tan Soo Phuan, 74, the former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, had gone there to scout for a daughter-in-law.

Mr Wu accepted the dowry and Wu had no choice but to follow her father's wishes, even though she had developed a close relationship with a colleague.

She was working as a telephone operator then.

Following their marriage, the couple lived in a two-storey bungalow at Paya Lebar Crescent with his parents, his elder brother, Lead Sane,and his wife.

Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Amarjit Singh asked for Wu to be jailed for life.

DPP Singh said that Madam Huang still visits a psychiatrist for her post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Afraid

Her latest medical report, dated 26 Aug, mentions that she continues to have flashbacks and nightmares about the attack. She is afraid to be alone, suffers from low moods and thinks that life is meaningless.

In passing sentence, Justice Kansaid it was unfortunate that Wu's family had not recognised signs of her depression, which was left unchecked. Madam Huang and Madam Ng sat a few rows behind Mr Wu and his son yesterday.

They did not look at Wu. After she was sentenced, they broke down and, in between their loud sobs, said the sentence was too light.

Lead Shake was not in court. When contacted, he declined to be interviewed.

Mr Wu said Lead Shake had visited his daughter in prison a few days earlier.

"When she asked him how their children were, he told her not to worry about them," said Mr Wu. This is Mr Wu's third visit here since his daughter was arrested. The family is poor and each time, he had to borrow money from friends and relatives to pay for the trip.

So far, he owes them 60,000 yuan ($12,200). Mr Wu, who had sleepless nights worrying about her sentence, said: "It doesn't matter how much I have to borrow. She's all alone and I have to find a way to come here."

He added that his daughter had told him to wait for her release so that she could take care of him and his wife.

But he has high blood pressure and heart problems and is afraid that he will not be able to live till that day.

He said: "My health is not good and I pray that I will still be around then. I was the one who sent her here. I want to be the one who takes her home."

chongsy@sph.com.sg