Vietnamese woman on trial for allegedly stabbing Singaporean landlord-boyfriend to death

A person with handcuffs. Illustration photo by Pexels

According to The Straits Times, the alleged incident occurred in the early hours of July 15, 2021, at Block 562 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. Giau, 43, is accused of stabbing Cho, aged 51, at the fifth-floor common corridor of the flat they shared, reportedly following a troubled romantic relationship.

On the first day of her trial, held on April 8 at the High Court of Singapore, Giau denied the charge of murder. The prosecution claims that Giau acted out of anger after a quarrel with Cho earlier that day, which escalated into the fatal stabbing. Giau’s defense has yet to present any evidence.

Photographs of the alleged attack, taken by another tenant in the flat named Tan Cheng Mun, were submitted to the court. The prosecution argued that Giau had the intention to harm Cho, which led to his death.

The prosecution intends to present evidence from 65 witnesses, with 18 expected to testify in court. In addition to witness testimonies, the court will review statements made by Giau during police investigations, as well as video footage and photographs.

In court, Giau appeared visibly distressed, with her head lowered and her shoulder-length hair mostly covering her face. She broke down in tears several times throughout the proceedings.

If convicted of murder, Giau faces a penalty of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The trial is expected to continue with further witness testimonies and evidence in the coming days.

Giau had been living in the three-room flat since July 2020, initially sleeping in the living room. By Oct. 2020, she began sharing a bedroom with Cho, a jewelery assembler who was reportedly married to another Vietnamese woman with whom he had a daughter. The wife had moved out before Giau moved in. Tan occupied a separate bedroom.

The prosecution described Giau and Cho’s relationship as deteriorating at the time of the incident. They claimed that Cho had expressed his intention to break up with Giau and evict her from the flat.

According to Channel News Asia, Cho had revealed to Tan that he wanted to break up with Giau, but whenever he mentioned it, she would demand a "break-up fee" ranging from S$5,000-$10,000 (US$3,789-$7,578).

On the night before the stabbing, Giau allegedly made more than 30 phone calls to Cho, who had blocked her number. She also reportedly drank about 10 cans of beer and sharpened a kitchen knife, according to the prosecution.

After returning to the flat past midnight on July 15, 2021, Cho and Tan were confronted by Giau in the common corridor, where the fatal stabbing reportedly took place.