A 42-year-old Singaporean woman was found guilty on Sep. 13 of aiding her ex-boyfriend’s death at a car park in Bedok Reservoir and obstructing justice in 2020. Alverna Cher Sheue Pin, a funeral director at City Funeral Singapore, assisted her ex-boyfriend, Wee Jun Xiang, 32, in dying by nitrogen gas in a car on May 16, 2020. She later disposed of evidence and provided false information to the police.
Background
Cher and Wee were in a relationship in 2019 but broke up and remained friends. Cher was a beneficiary of Wee’s S$1 million life insurance policy, with a 20 per cent share. Between February and May 2020, Wee planned to commit suicide by inhaling nitrogen and communicated his plans to Cher. Wee owed S$200,000 to S$300,000, which he cited as a reason for his suicide. The pair exchanged texts about their plans and visited the multi-storey car park before the planned suicide.
Aided death
On May 16, 2020, Wee arrived at the multi-storey car park at Block 145A Bedok Reservoir Road with a tank of nitrogen gas at around 12:14 pm in an Audi car. Cher arrived at around 2 pm in a van. At that time, Wee was still alive. Cher assisted Wee in adjusting the tank in the car and brought an Ikea bag inside the car to contain more gas after he said he needed more of it. She turned the valve of the nitrogen gas tank a few times and wore gloves to prevent her prints from being detected. The pair talked and hugged before she left in her van, with Wee instructing her to return at 4 pm. Wee died of asphyxiation at 2:15 pm.
Obstructed justice
Cher returned to the car at around 4:24 pm and found that Wee had passed away. Police arrived shortly after she lodged a report. Cher then got rid of the evidence by asking another man to drive the van containing the tank away from the location while she personally disposed of the bag. She also provided false information to a police officer, claiming that Wee had told her he had been having chest discomfort for two weeks and that she assumed he had died of a heart attack.
Lied in court, confessed to the charges
Cher was initially charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, but the charge was later downgraded to intentionally aiding the suicide of another. At trial, the prosecution argued that Cher had known about Wee’s suicidal ideations since February 2020. Multiple inconsistencies were found in Cher’s statements. On Oct. 12, 2021, Cher claimed she was involved because Wee wanted her to dispose of evidence of his suicide. She added that she had tried to reject his request but was afraid he would harm her or her daughter if she did not comply. However, she later lied in testimony about not knowing where Wee had placed the Ikea bag and whether he had poured gas into the bag himself. Cher finally confessed on Dec. 1, 2020, during investigations. She contested the charges and changed lawyers multiple times. Cher testified at one point that she had encouraged Wee to live on. She also said: “I am sorry for my actions and irrational thoughts. I am also sorry for my emotional judgment. I just ask for leniency.” She will be sentenced at a later date. For abetting suicide, she faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine. For obstructing the course of justice, she faces up to seven years in jail, a fine, or both.
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)
- SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)
