Teen who killed classmate seeks lesser prison sentence

Teen who killed River Valley high school classmate seeks lesser prison sentence

The River Valley High School teen who killed his younger classmate with an axe in 2021 is appealing for a lesser prison sentence.

Last December, the attacker was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the murder of Ethan Hun Zhe Kai.

His lawyers have since asked for his sentence to be reduced to eight to 10 years, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.

The lawyer argued that the sentence was excessive because of the teenager's history of depression.

On Monday, July 1, the 19-year-old was present at the Court of Appeal with his lawyers, Mr Sunil Sudheesan and Ms Joyce Khoo.

His name cannot be released because he committed the murder when he was under 18 and is under the protection of the Children and Young People Act.

Mr. Sudheesan noted in particular that his client suffered from depression, which had caused two suicide attempts before the fatal incident. The teenager knew what he was doing was wrong, but it was his mental illness that gave him the irrational plan, Mr Sudheensan said.

He added that as the teenager felt he could not commit suicide, he intended to ask the police to kill him after the murder was carried out.

The lawyer argued that the sentence was excessive. The teenager has since recovered from his depression and has been in remission since September 2022.

According to the Straits Times (ST), Mr Sudheesan also said his client had been influenced by snuff videos, which depict real-life homicide scenes.

The prosecution said the teenager bears significant responsibility for his actions

For his part, deputy prosecutor Andre Chong stressed that the teenager nevertheless bore significant responsibility. He said the teen chose to watch the snuff videos and refused to seek help when he knew he was depressed.

DPP Chong also stressed that he would not have developed suicidal thoughts if he had not decided to watch them.

In response, Mr Sudheesan argued that the teenager, suffering from depression, was coping poorly with his condition.

CNA noted that the lawyer expressed his client's great remorse for committing the offense. He also said the teen understood the permanent damage caused to the victim's family.

The case was adjourned.

Also read: River Valley High student pleads guilty to 2021 axe murder, sentenced to 16 years in prison

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Featured image adapted from Wikipedia and 8world News on Facebook.