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A MAN who beat a property agent to death during an argument over money pleaded guilty to culpable homicide yesterday.
Rosli Yassin, 51, had been facing a murder charge over the death of Ms Choo Xue Ying, whose decomposed body was found near Bukit Batok Nature Park in October 2008.
But his lawyers persuaded the prosecution to reduce the charge.
Rosli met Ms Choo, 46, in July 2008, the High Court heard. Although he was unemployed, they had business dealings that led him to claim she owed him cash.
The row broke out in Ms Choo’s Chery QQ while they were on their way to a meeting on Oct 16.
She was driving, and stopped at Lorong Sesuai so they could talk about money.
But their chat turned violent and Rosli punched her repeatedly in the head and face.
They got out of the car and Ms Choo threatened to call the police. When he heard this, Rosli snatched her mobile phone, then struck her several times on the head until she fell to the ground.
He took her handbag containing her identity card, cheque book and credit cards, then carried her to the bottom of a slope and left her to die. Rosli drove off in her car, but abandoned it.
Ms Choo’s body was found four days later by a jogger who noticed a strange smell. Her body was so decomposed it had to be identified through dental records.
Meanwhile, Rosli and his Indonesian girlfriend Jelly used Ms Choo’s cheques to cheat a 46-year-old man.
He told Mr Adros Syed Omar he had inherited a fortune and wanted to help him start a business, but could not withdraw the money as he did not have a bank book.
He gave Mr Adros a $500,000 cheque that he claimed was his lawyer’s. In fact, it belonged to Ms Choo, whose signature Jelly had forged.
Rosli asked Mr Adros to lend them a total of $11,400 which he pocketed.
After the body was found, Rosli and Jelly went into hiding in Sentosa but were arrested after police raided their hotel room.
Rosli went on trial for murder for two days in October last year. The hearing was then adjourned and his lawyers asked for the charge to be reduced.
Yesterday, Rosli also pleaded guilty to cheating, theft, criminal breach of trust and abetting forgery.
The case was adjourned for three weeks for a pre-sentence report.
This will determine if Rosli, who has convictions for offences such as cheating and theft, is suitable for preventive detention, a regime for recalcitrant offenders that lasts from seven to 20 years.
Jelly, 34, has been repatriated after serving a three-year term for overstaying and cheating.
