S'porean woman, 20, charged for stealing police gun to escape hospital

A 20-year-old Singaporean woman admitted to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for self-harm was arrested after she took an auxiliary police officer's loaded gun in an attempt to escape the hospital.

She was charged with using criminal force in committing theft, and pleaded guilty in court on Oct. 29, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

Chew Pei Xuan was hospitalised on Jul. 3 after she cut her wrists while she was drunk, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Escape plot

On Jul. 7, after taking a shower in the bathroom of her ward, Chew changed into her own clothes, planning to sneak out of the hospital.

A nurse, concerned that she was not in her bed, knocked on the bathroom door, but Chew did not respond.

She held the door shut when the nurse tried to break open the lock, prompting the nurse to call for help.

Chew finally opened the bathroom door after 10 minutes, and was led back to her bed, from which she was monitored by auxiliary police officers and hospital security guards who had arrived.

Subsequently, when the nurse was not looking, Chew seized the opportunity to again attempt to escape.

An auxiliary police officer at the door held her by the arms and tried to calm her down, but she struggled and managed to break free.

Chew then grabbed the service revolver from the officer's holster.

The revolver was loaded with five bullets at the time, according to Shin Min.

The officer and security guards immediately pinned her down on the ground, and eventually managed to get her to let go of the gun.

Chew was subsequently arrested and sent to a youth detention centre.

Heard voices in her head

Chew told the court that she had heard a voice in her heard telling her to escape and use the gun to end her life.

According to Shin Min, medical reports showed that Chew had borderline personality disorder, and was dealing with situational depression at the time of the incident.

Situational depression in characterised by episodes of depressive symptoms typically triggered by a stressful or traumatic event.

However, a doctor has added that Chew's depression had later become more serious, developing into major depressive disorder, worsened by from her alcohol use disorder.

The doctor believed that her mental condition was connected to her attempt to steal the gun, but assessed that she was not mentally unstable during the incident.

There was also a concern that Chew had a long-term risk of harming herself again due to her borderline personality disorder.

The court called for a reformative training report, and adjourned the case to Nov. 21, until which Chew would be remanded.

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