Tortured maid, 24, weighed just 53lb when she was beaten to death by employer

A woman has been given a 30-year jail sentence for killing her maid after more than a year of torture and abuse.

Gaiyathiri Murugayan pleaded guilty in February to culpable homicide among 28 charges for the abuse of 24-year-old Piang Ngaih Don.

The victim, who was working her first job after moving to Singapore, was subjected to 14 months of beating that led to her death in 2016.

CCTV footage from home cameras showed her being assaulted several times a day, the court heard.

Murugayan reportedly burned Ms Piang with a heated clothes iron, and was accused of "throwing her around like a ragdoll".

The court heard that Ms Piang was denied food and she lost 15kg – about 38% of her body weight – in 14 months.

Ms Piang died in July 2016 after being assaulted over several hours by both Murugayan and her mother.

An autopsy report later found the case of death was oxygen deprivation due to being choked.

Judge See Kee Oon said that although Murugayan, 40, of Singapore, suffered significant psychiatric problems, the offences she committed were abhorrent and with purpose.

Get latest news headlines delivered free

Want all the latest shocking news and views from all over the world straight into your inbox?

We've got the best royal scoops, crime dramas and breaking stories – all delivered in that Daily Star style you love.

Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. They'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

You can sign up here – you won't regret it…

In court documents while sentencing, the judge said: "The extremely aggravated and horrific circumstances of the offences are crucial considerations that tip the scales towards retribution and deterrence,"

He also said she understood her actions and what she was doing.

The Judge said: "She was cognisant of her actions and purposeful in her conduct. She did not lack capacity to comprehend what she was doing."

Murugayan's lawyer Joseph Chen said a family member of his client had asked him to file an appeal seeking a shorter prison term of 15 to 16 years so that she could still spend time with her children upon her release.

"People with psychiatric disorder look at things differently, they cannot pull themselves out of the situation," he said.

"To the family member, the 30 years sentence is as bad as life imprisonment."

Source: Read Full Article