S'porean man, 23, hacks parents' bedroom door with cleaver & golf club, threatens to kill them over money dispute

A Singaporean man used a cleaver and a golf club to hack down his father's and stepmother's bedroom door when a money dispute ensued at home.

When the pair refused to emerge from the room, he also threatened to kill them while wielding the weapons.

Terry Lee Zheng Chong, 23, was handed a two-year, one-month and four-week jail term for multiple charges of criminal intimidation and the possession of offensive weapons, according to Shin Min Daily News.

He faced 16 charges in total, including for separate incidents of causing an accident while driving without a licence, drug consumption and theft.

He pleaded guilty to six of the charges in court on Apr. 15.

In addition to the jail term, he was also fined S$2,500 and had his driver's licence suspended for two years.

Money dispute

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the money dispute occurred on Jan. 29, 2025, at about 4:23pm.

Lee was in an argument related to money with his father, who was in the master bedroom of the house with Lee's stepmother.

The argument grew heated, and Lee became increasingly aggressive, prompting the elder couple to close the bedroom door and lock themselves in out of fear.

They also pushed items against the door to prevent Lee from entering, court documents noted.

Threats to kill

Lee attempted to force the door open but was unsuccessful.

He then grabbed a cleaver from the kitchen and yelled in Mandarin: "If you don't come out, I will come in and let you all die" before beginning to hack on the door.

The blows formed a hole in the bedroom door, allowing the victims to see Lee holding the knife.

His stepmother decided to call the police.

Lee subsequently proceeded to grab a golf club from the home's storeroom and swung it at the door to expand the hole.

His stepmother attempted to stop his actions by stating that the police were on their way.

Lee was arrested soon after.

For threatening his father and stepmother with death, by hitting the bedroom door with the weapons, Lee could have faced up to 10 years jail, a fine, or both.

Driving without licence

In a separate incident, Lee drove a car without a licence along Jurong West Street 93 and Jurong West Street 92 on Mar 4, 2024, at about 12:30am.

At a traffic light junction, he made a discretionary right turn without keeping a proper lookout, colliding with another car that had the right of way.

Lee approached the victim and attempted to explain that he had the right of way instead.

He subsequently left and drove towards a nearby open-air carpark, where he contacted a friend.

The victim sustained minor injuries and was later given three days of medical leave.

Lying about being the driver

Lee's friend met him at the carpark and took over the wheel to drive back to the accident site, knowing Lee did not possess a valid driver's licence.

According to court documents, the accident was captured in the in-car camera of Lee's car.

It revealed that he had driven without due care and attention, as well as illegally, and as such had committed an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

Later, Lee was called by the police to provide a statement in relation to the incident, where he lied that he had not been the driver of the vehicle.

He alleged that he had been in the front passenger seat on that day, while another man had been the driver, and a third man was in the rear passenger seat.

Lee's fabrications were exposed after both parties were further questioned by the police.

For lying to a public servant, he had committed an offence under the Penal Code.

Other charges

Lee also faced other charges for two unrelated incidents, including for alleged drug consumption on the day he was arrested at his home on Jan. 29, 2025.

There, he was found in possession of bottles, straws, empty packets and glass pipes, among other items, suggesting drug intake.

A urine test confirmed he had consumed methamphetamine, or meth.

On Aug. 10, 2025, a member of the public called the police after witnessing Lee being chased by a man.

After being arrested, Lee was found to have stolen the man's gold chain on a job offering him S$10,000. He was also found in possession of a foldable knife.

Top images via Canva & court documents