A Singaporean man pleaded guilty in court on Aug. 15, 2023, to strangling his twin sons to death in a playground at Greenridge Crescent on Jan. 21, 2022.

Xavier Yap Jung Houn’s two sons, Aston Yap Kai Shern and Ethan Yap E Chern, were only 11 years old.

The 50-year-old originally faced two murder charges — one each for his two sons — but had them reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder after he was found to have a major depressive disorder of moderate severity during the offences.

He escaped the death penalty but now faces life imprisonment with caning, or imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine or caning.

Sons had difficulties in school

According to documents read out in court on Aug. 15, 2023, Yap lived with his wife and their two sons in a unit along Toh Tuck Road. His wife is the biological mother of the two sons.

Yap’s two sons were suspected to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since they were two years old and were formally diagnosed with ASD and Global Development Delay (GDD) when they were around seven years old.

They were enrolled into a mainstream primary school when they were nine years old and still nonverbal.

Due to their learning difficulties, his wife and the family’s domestic helper would each accompany one child to their classes at primary school.

Yap had a good relationship with his sons and did not usually discipline them with physical force, and he helped prepare their daily necessities and bought them the items they wanted.

He was involved in their studies and spent more time with them after they started primary school.

Believed wife "could not accept their sons' condition"

However, he became increasingly concerned in 2019 or 2020 when he was saddened as he believed his wife could not accept their sons’ condition.

By September 2021, he noticed that his wife was “always getting angry with the victims” and started to have suicidal ideations.

He purchased an ice pick in December 2021.

In early 2022, Yap decided to kill his sons and himself as he noticed his wife was “depressed and frustrated” because the twins had to be reassessed if they could remain in their primary school.

He felt his wife “had given up” on the boys and thought that killing them could "take away his wife’s burdens”.

Yap then also became worried that his sons would not be taken care of and become bullied when he and his wife pass on in the future.

Tried killing himself after killing his sons

Yap decided to carry out his plan on Jan. 21, 2022.

He chose the playground near his house at Greenridge Crescent as he knew it was “quite quiet” and has a “big open field” and a “forest” in the vicinity.

Yap took afternoon leave that day and drove his sons to the playground from his home.

He brought along the ice pick he bought a month ago.

At the playground, he let his sons play for around 10 minutes before carrying them one by one into a canal nearby.

He picked up a stick and pressed it hard against one of his son’s neck, but it broke.

Yap instead used his hands to strangle Ethan and placed his face in the water while his brother Aston was watching quietly a few metres away.

He then did the same to Aston.

After killing both sons, he attempted to kill himself by poking himself in his stomach, chest and back with the ice pick he brought along.

While he could pierce himself with the ice pick, he did not bleed sufficiently to cause death.

Yap then used a tree branch and a fist-sized rock to hit his head in hopes of causing a brain injury.

Decided to lie to the police "for death penalty"

When his efforts proved futile, he came up with the plan to lie to the police that he was attacked.

He thought that when the evidence proves otherwise, the police would uncover the lie and find him unremorseful, and so he would receive the death penalty.

After he called the police, claiming that he had been attacked and needed help to find his sons, he went back to the canal and placed his sons' heads on his lap while waiting for the police.

He then stopped waiting and ran back to the playground shouting for help. The police arrived around the same time.

The police found his sons, and he was arrested the next day after admitting to killing his sons.

Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder

The prosecution pointed out that an Institute of Mental Health doctor assessed Yap to be suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) of moderate severity around the time of the offences.

The doctor said he had MDD for at least three years which worsened before the offences and opined that he would qualify for partial defence of diminished responsibility for murder charges.

Yap also told the doctor that even though he knew killing was wrong, he felt hopeless for his sons’ future but wanted to kill them to “relieve them of their stress and suffering”.

He also felt that killing himself would allow his wife and her daughter from her previous marriage to carry on with their lives.

"Two young lives were lost": Prosecution

The prosecution asked for a sentence of 14 to 20 years, pointing out that while Yap suffered from a mental condition, he could think rationally and coherently to plan for his offences.

The prosecutor highlighted that the victims were young, vulnerable and trusted in him such that they would unconditionally follow him into the canal, and one didn’t even flee while watching the other getting killed.

He reiterated that “two young lives were lost” and believed that the sentence the prosecution asked for is appropriate.

Claims wife abused sons and had an affair

Yap is represented by Patrick Nai, Choo Si Sen and Choo Yean Lin from Tan Lee & Partners.

His lawyers asked for a sentence of five years.

In their mitigation plea, they pointed out that the case is a “tragic one” and further explained Yap's circumstances.

His lawyers said that Yap found his wife had stopped caring for his sons and even abused them.

Yap claimed that he found bruises and cane marks on them.

Yap also claimed that he discovered his wife had been having an affair since 2021 and, on the day of the killings, found that she had “checked in at a local hotel together with her lover”.

According to his lawyers, Yap wanted to “free” himself and his sons “from mortal sufferings” so that he “could be together with his beloved twin sons forever”.

They pointed out that Yap committed the offences while his judgment was substantially impaired due to suffering from an MDD.

His lawyers also said that he has a degree in engineering and a PhD in philosophy and would still be able to contribute to society after his release from prison.

They felt the sentence the prosecution requested was excessive and pleaded for the judge to write a lighter sentence.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

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Top image via Lianhe Zaobao & Google Maps