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The 48-year-old Xavier Yap Jung Houn was handed a second charge for murder on Feb. 18.

Second murder charge

Yap has been on remand since his arrest on Jan. 22.

He attended court via video link from his place of remand today (Feb. 18), wearing a white top and his hair shaved.

He looked tired and had a noticeable mark on the left side of his neck.

Yap was charged for murdering his other 11-year-old son Aston Yap Kai Shern, at the covered canal at Greenridge Crescent playground on Jan. 21, between 4:23pm and 6:18pm, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

A police prosecutor told the court that Yap's medical report and Health Sciences Authority report are pending and investigations are not completed yet.

The prosecutor added that they "do not have an estimated date of completion at the moment", but Yap's Institute of Mental Health report has been submitted into the court system.

Mothership understands that Yap was remanded at Changi Prison’s Complex Medical Centre for psychiatric observation after his second court hearing on Jan. 29.

When District Judge Terence Tay probed further, the prosecutor said the "medical report [is] regarding the injury sustained by the accused".

Before leaving, Yap's lawyer, Anil Singh Sandu, said to him in court: "I wish to tell my client that I will be seeing him next Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 23)".

The court heard that Yap is non-bailable as he is facing capital charges.

He will return to court on Apr. 26, after a pre-trial conference in the High Court on Apr. 12.

Amended charges

In Yap's first court hearing on Jan. 24, he was only given one charge of murder for murdering one of his twin sons, according to previous charge sheets seen by Mothership.

He was previously accused of murdering his 11-year-old son, Ethan Yap E Chern, at the covered canal at Greenridge Crescent playground on Jan. 21, between 4:25pm and 6:25pm.

However, Yap's charge was amended, according to the recent court documents seen by Mothership on Feb. 18.

Instead of 4:25 pm to 6:25pm, the time that Yap committed the murder of Yap E Chern Ethan was amended to 4:23pm to 6:18pm.

Brothers found dead at Greenridge Crescent playground

Yap's 11-year-old twin sons were found dead in the vicinity of a playground at Greenridge Crescent on Jan. 21, 2022.

The boys were believed to have had special needs.

They were found lying motionless in a 2m-wide stormwater canal near a playground at Greenridge Crescent in Upper Bukit Timah.

The site is described as secluded and quiet. The canal, which is large and deep, cuts across the playground.

Yap had initially called the police on the evening of Jan. 21, the day the boys' bodies were discovered.

The police subsequently arrested Yap for the alleged murder of his sons.

If found guilty, he can face the death penalty.

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Top image by Mothership and by Fiona Tan