What happens when a 90-year-old who killed his wife is unfit for trial? Singapore judge sets five-year term, but law minister has final say

What happens when a 90-year-old who killed his wife is unfit for trial? Singapore judge sets five-year term, but law minister has final say



A 90-year-old man who allegedly killed his 74-year-old wife has been found mentally unfit to stand trial in Singapore, leaving the courts to set a five-year notional sentence that will guide the government’s decision on his confinement or release. — Unsplash pic


Summary

• A Singapore court set a five-year notional imprisonment period for 90-year-old Ridawi Morsudin, found unfit to stand trial for allegedly killing his wife due to severe cognitive impairment.
• While not a prison sentence, this defines the maximum confinement duration the Law Minister may impose, with Ridawi currently held at Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre.
• Justice Hoo Sheau Peng initially considered a six-year confinement but reduced it by one year, taking into account medical assessments indicating low risk of reoffending and Ridawi's dependency on others.
• Despite defense appeals for a shorter period based on his advanced age and poor health, the judge emphasized the brutal nature of the alleged crime.

By Malay Mail
First Published: Saturday, 29 Aug 2026 12:09 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, Aug 29 — A Singapore judge has set a five-year notional imprisonment period for a 90-year-old man who was found unfit to stand trial over the alleged killing of his wife due to severe cognitive impairment, The Straits Times reported.

Contrary to its name, a notional imprisonment period is not a prison sentence, as Ridawi Morsudin has not been convicted, but sets the maximum period of confinement that the Law Minister can order under Singapore law.

The minister will decide whether Ridawi should be confined in a psychiatric institution, another place of safe custody or released conditionally, with the 90-year-old remaining at the Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre pending the decision.


Justice Hoo Sheau Peng said six years would have been an appropriate starting point but reduced it by one year after considering doctors’ assessment that Ridawi was at low risk of reoffending and now completely dependent on others for daily care.


She rejected the defence’s argument for a two- to three-year period based on Ridawi’s age and declining health.

“The accused was able to kill his wife in a forceful and brutal manner when he was 88 years old, and he was strong and dangerous while in a fit of delirium,” the judge was quoted as saying.

Ridawi is accused of killing his 74-year-old wife, Aminah Abdul, at their Bukit Panjang flat between the evening of June 4, 2024 and early the next day.


Aminah suffered at least 34 slash and stab wounds, with fractures to her skull, neck, spine and ribs, according to an autopsy.

Ridawi’s mental faculties had deteriorated noticeably from 2022, with court documents stating that he became increasingly aggressive, could no longer recognise family members and repeatedly wandered off and became lost.

He was diagnosed with mixed dementia after being hospitalised in early 2024 and was later enrolled at a day-care centre for seniors with dementia, but was discharged after becoming increasingly uncooperative.

He was subsequently left at home while his children took turns delivering meals, with a CCTV camera installed to monitor him.

On the night of the killing, Ridawi’s grandson saw through the live feed that Aminah was lying in a pool of blood, while Ridawi stood behind his recliner.

When his grandson rushed home, Ridawi reportedly told him: “That person (is) no longer alive. It’s too late.”