<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>IMH inmate caused death of fellow patient
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Khushwant Singh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AN INSULT sparked a fight between two long-term patients at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) that turned fatal.
Mr Chow Wai Mun, then 41, died of severe head injuries several days after the incident. The coroner court yesterday said his death in June 2006 was caused by a fellow IMH patient Teo Kok Meng, 28.
The coroner classified the death as a culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Because Teo was found to be of unsound mind, he is unfit to stand trial for the crime.
Both patients suffer from schizophrenia. Mr Chow, a bachelor, had been in IMH since 1988 and Teo since 2004.
An IMH report indicated that because of his mental illness, Teo had lost control of his emotions and behaviour at the time of the offence.
He is now being confined in IMH at the discretion of the Law Minister.
A psychiatrist examines him at least once every six months to report on his mental state.
If Teo is eventually found fit to stand trial, he will be brought to court again for the case to resume.
He had admitted to a psychiatrist that he had attacked Mr Chow after the older man insulted him. The court was not told the exact nature of the insult.
On the night of June 20, 2006, both men were doing chores in the hospital and were seen quarrelling.
Ward attendant Simeon Kang told the police he saw Teo push Mr Chow, who fell backwards.
After punching and kicking the fallen man several times, Teo threw a wooden coffee table at Mr Chow.
The table, measuring 1m in diameter, landed on Mr Chow's head, causing his skull to fracture.
Mr Kang tried to intervene and was punched in the head by Teo.
Court papers disclosed that Teo then flung the table against a glass counter behind which Mr Kang was seeking refuge.
The ward attendant had to call for help to subdue Teo before they could get to MrChow.
Mr Chow was taken to Alexandra Hospital and transferred to the National University Hospital, where he died three days later.
Senior Station Inspector Zainal Abidin Ismail told the court that Teo had flung the table in the general direction of Mr Chow and had not aimed to hit the head.
State Coroner Victor Yeo said there was no evidence of bad blood between the two patients prior to the incident.
Although satisfied that Teo had voluntarily thrown the coffee table, the coroner ruled that it was culpable homicide not amounting to murder after considering Teo's state of mind and the circumstances surrounding the offence.
Coroner Yeo also noted that a psychiatric examination on March 16 had determined that Teo's schizophrenia had worsened and he remains incapable of following court proceedings. Mr Chow's 42-year-old brother attended the inquiry but declined the chance to question Senior Station Insp Zainal Abidin, the only witness, about his brother's death.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Khushwant Singh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->AN INSULT sparked a fight between two long-term patients at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) that turned fatal.
Mr Chow Wai Mun, then 41, died of severe head injuries several days after the incident. The coroner court yesterday said his death in June 2006 was caused by a fellow IMH patient Teo Kok Meng, 28.
The coroner classified the death as a culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Because Teo was found to be of unsound mind, he is unfit to stand trial for the crime.
Both patients suffer from schizophrenia. Mr Chow, a bachelor, had been in IMH since 1988 and Teo since 2004.
An IMH report indicated that because of his mental illness, Teo had lost control of his emotions and behaviour at the time of the offence.
He is now being confined in IMH at the discretion of the Law Minister.
A psychiatrist examines him at least once every six months to report on his mental state.
If Teo is eventually found fit to stand trial, he will be brought to court again for the case to resume.
He had admitted to a psychiatrist that he had attacked Mr Chow after the older man insulted him. The court was not told the exact nature of the insult.
On the night of June 20, 2006, both men were doing chores in the hospital and were seen quarrelling.
Ward attendant Simeon Kang told the police he saw Teo push Mr Chow, who fell backwards.
After punching and kicking the fallen man several times, Teo threw a wooden coffee table at Mr Chow.
The table, measuring 1m in diameter, landed on Mr Chow's head, causing his skull to fracture.
Mr Kang tried to intervene and was punched in the head by Teo.
Court papers disclosed that Teo then flung the table against a glass counter behind which Mr Kang was seeking refuge.
The ward attendant had to call for help to subdue Teo before they could get to MrChow.
Mr Chow was taken to Alexandra Hospital and transferred to the National University Hospital, where he died three days later.
Senior Station Inspector Zainal Abidin Ismail told the court that Teo had flung the table in the general direction of Mr Chow and had not aimed to hit the head.
State Coroner Victor Yeo said there was no evidence of bad blood between the two patients prior to the incident.
Although satisfied that Teo had voluntarily thrown the coffee table, the coroner ruled that it was culpable homicide not amounting to murder after considering Teo's state of mind and the circumstances surrounding the offence.
Coroner Yeo also noted that a psychiatric examination on March 16 had determined that Teo's schizophrenia had worsened and he remains incapable of following court proceedings. Mr Chow's 42-year-old brother attended the inquiry but declined the chance to question Senior Station Insp Zainal Abidin, the only witness, about his brother's death.
