S'porean couple who abused baby to death joked over text about shaking son until 'the head almost 180°'

Eight-month-old baby Trevor Neo passed away on Sep. 2, 2024, after enduring abuse from his parents for almost the entirety of his life.

His mother, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in jail, while his father, Neo Jia Ming, 27, was sentenced to 16 years in jail for causing his death.

The court heard that the couple frequently smothered and shook Trevor to stop him from crying.

They would also abuse him in other ways, such as by slapping, hitting and squeezing him until he turned purple.

In one incident on Jan. 18, 2024, Gan tried feeding Trevor milk, but he did not respond to her when she tapped his chin.

Text messages read out in court showed that the couple laughed about shaking him during this incident.

Trevor was later brought KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), where he was hospitalised from Jan. 18, 2024 to Jan. 23, 2024 for observation.

Joked about shaking baby

This is an excerpt from court documents of some of the messages the couple exchanged:

Neo: Itr u shake the baby like I do like that when he cry

But don't very violent ah

Damage the brain

Later become autistic

Gan: f**k

Neo: My mum go right

Why fk

Gan: i nearly shake the head alm 180 degree

Neo: :) later stupid stupid only ma

Gan: but he's asleep

Neo: Concussion ma

Gan: walao

don't scare me leh

Neo: Confirm concussion bro

I just scared got brain damage only

Nvm la

Gan: ?

Neo: 26 jan can know

Soon

My mum on the way up

I saw her

Gan: oh

she come so early?

ehh bb

what i say sia

Neo: ?

Gan: when she ask why he cough

gg

Neo: ...U better pray he so power can cough

That's coughing for 8 more days

Gan: now I scared it may affect him on and off

if its left untreated

Neo: No choice ma,u dk how u still do

U just gentle shake shake only

Don't too fast

Gan: he never drink any milk till now cuz I shake until he damn shag alr

HAHAHAAH

Neo: ... U just monitor lo

He cry use your own method

Don't do my one

U fucking useless cannot copy one

The moment u do he start coughing like fk alr

Treated abuse like laughing matter

During the court hearing, High Court Justice Hoo Sheau Peng noted that the couple treated the abuse almost like a "laughing matter".

Trevor spent nearly the entirety of his life enduring abuse before losing his life, she said.

While she acknowledged that the couple was overwhelmed by the task of taking care of the baby and was not overly prepared for parenthood, she pointed out that they were well supported.

Family members took care of Trevor on the weekends and a nanny took care of him on weekdays.

Neo’s two uncles living in the same flat also took care of Trevor on one occasion while the couple went out for dinner.

The couple was not left on their own, Hoo said.

Notwithstanding their "youth and inexperience", they must be held accountable for their actions, the judge said.

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