Mentally unsound man, 90, who killed wife given notional 5-year jail term
A 90-year-old man suffering from dementia has been given a five-year notional jail term for killing his wife in 2024. The court determined he is unfit to stand trial and unlikely to ever regain the capacity to defend himself.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal complexities and sentencing challenges when dealing with elderly defendants suffering from severe cognitive decline.
In coming to her decision, the High Court judge said she considered medical reports stating that Ridawi remains unfit to stand trial or plead guilty.
The Supreme Court in Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Koh Wan Ting 28 Aug 2026 11:41AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST SINGAPORE: A 90-year-old man who killed his wife in an "overwhelmingly lethal" attack while he was of unsound mind was given a notional imprisonment period of five years by the High Court on Friday (Aug 28).
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