Man with mental condition jailed for attempting to kill stranger at Kallang Wave Mall
The victim, a 31-year-old woman, was drinking with her boyfriend and acquaintance at Kallang Wave Mall when she went to the toilet and was attacked.
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Warning: This report contains references to suicide.
SINGAPORE: A man who stopped receiving treatment for his mental disorder acted on a voice telling him to kill someone before taking his own life, stabbing a stranger in the chest at Kallang Wave Mall.
The 27-year-old Singaporean, Chua Jing Yuan, targeted a 31-year-old woman who was at the mall with her boyfriend and an acquaintance.
After the attack, Chua fled but was chased down and restrained by the victim's companions.
When police officers arrived, he repeatedly demanded that they shoot him, saying: "I kill her so that you can shoot me."
Chua was sentenced on Monday (Nov 2) to five-and-a-half years' jail after pleading guilty to attempted culpable homicide causing hurt. Another two charges for possessing weapons were taken into consideration.
The court heard that he was suffering from major depressive disorder with psychotic features, which significantly contributed to his offence by severely compromising his judgment.
THE CASE
Chua was first seen at Jurong Polyclinic in May 2021 for anxiety.
He was referred to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder with obsessive compulsive symptoms.
His condition improved with treatment, but he stopped attending appointments after Mar 20, 2023.
His mental state subsequently deteriorated, and he reported hearing a voice instructing him to kill someone before drinking bleach to end his own life.
On Jul 13, 2025, Chua decided to act on the voice's instructions.
According to Chua, the voice insisted that he dress entirely in black and buy bleach, a knife, a hammer and black clothing.
With a shopping list saved on his phone, Chua went to Jurong Point and bought black clothes, a black backpack, face masks, gloves, a 1.5-litre bottle of bleach, a claw hammer and a kitchen knife.
He then went to a stairwell at the block where his sister lived, packed the items into his backpack and changed into his new clothes.
He placed his old clothes in a riser compartment, intending for his family to find them after his death.
At about 12.30am on Jul 14, 2025, Chua went to Kallang Wave Mall intending to carry out his plan.
Wearing a black face mask and a glove on his right hand, he wandered around the mall for almost an hour looking for a suitable target.
The victim was drinking at a bar in the mall with her boyfriend and an acquaintance at the time.
At about 1.20am, she left the bar to use the restroom and Chua spotted her.
He decided to kill her, turning to her and telling her to wait a moment.
When she stopped, he retrieved the kitchen knife from his backpack and stabbed her in the chest, believing this would be the quickest way to kill her.
The woman fled back to her companions, who went looking for her attacker.
Chua had fled the scene in search of a place to kill himself.
The victim's companions spotted him trying to leave the mall on the ground floor and gave chase.
Chua tripped and fell shortly after exiting the mall, allowing them to catch up with and restrain him.
The victim's boyfriend found a hammer in Chua's backpack and threw it away. Passers-by also helped subdue Chua and called the police.
When officers arrived at about 1.30am, Chua repeatedly asked them to shoot him. He also threatened to kill himself and started banging his head on the ground.
Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and took the victim to hospital.
AFTERMATH
The woman suffered a stab wound to her chest wall and a laceration to her neck. She underwent surgery and recovered well, allowing her to be discharged the following day.
She sustained no injuries to major nerves or vital blood vessels, and a medical review in August 2025 found that she had no significant disability.
Her medical bills amounted to more than S$2,510.
Chua was subsequently assessed by Dr Kenneth Gerard Koh Wun Wu, a senior consultant physician at the Institute of Mental Health, who found that he was suffering from major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
Dr Koh said this was significantly contributory to his offending as it severely compromised his judgment.
He appeared severely depressed and had "mood-congruent auditory hallucinations", said Dr Koh.
Despite his condition, Chua was not of unsound mind at the time of the offence and was fit to plead in court.
Dr Koh said Chua's condition would have qualified him for a defence of diminished responsibility, as his depression was severe and had badly compromised his judgment.
Diminished responsibility is a partial defence for murder that applies if the accused person's capacity to know the nature and wrongfulness of his acts or his power to control his acts was substantially impaired by his abnormality of mind at the time of the killing.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Grace Chua and Johan Tay sought seven years' jail, arguing that Chua had set out to kill "a complete stranger" and that he must pay for what he has done.
Ms Chua said the offender was able to retain his cognitive ability to perceive his acts and know their nature, and that he knew his acts were wrong.
Chua was represented by Mr Choo Si Sen and Ms Choo Yean Lin from Tan Lee & Partners.
Ms Choo sought not more than three years' jail. She said her client was a young man with a promising future, who wants to pursue further education.
Ms Choo added that he hoped to be able to support his parents, who were present in court, in future.
"He deserves a second chance in life," she said.
In sentencing, Justice Pang Khang Chau said he agreed with the prosecution on the aggravating factors cited, including Chua's meticulous planning and how he armed himself with more than one lethal weapon.
However, the judge said Chua's seemingly rational planning was premised on "unreal facts", arising from his auditory hallucination.
He also noted that Chua had compensated the victim for her medical expenses.
Chua's parents were allowed to speak to him after the hearing. They declined comment when approached by CNA.
For attempted culpable homicide causing hurt, Chua could have been jailed for up to 15 years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.
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