24-12-2024 (SINGAPORE) A fatal altercation between two elderly residents at a public housing block has left one dead and another in police custody, marking a tragic turn in a neighbourhood dispute that shocked local residents.
The incident occurred on Sunday at Block 805 King George’s Avenue, where a confrontation between two men, aged 69 and 71, escalated into violence. According to police reports, the younger man was pronounced dead at Tan Tock Seng Hospital following the altercation.
Local resident Madam Khoo, who resides adjacent to the accused, recounted being awakened by the commotion. “I remained inside my flat, fearful of what was transpiring outside,” she told reporters. Her husband later discovered a blood trail extending from the ground floor lift lobby to their eighth-floor corridor.
Initial police investigations revealed that the dispute began on the ground floor after an alleged collision between the two men. The deceased, known locally as “Ah Tong”, reportedly confronted his neighbour over failing to apologise for bumping into him. The situation escalated when the younger man allegedly approached his neighbour’s flat wielding a pole, leading to a physical confrontation involving a blade.
The elder brother of the deceased, Mr Chua Kim Swee, 74, currently hospitalised due to a stroke, disclosed that his sibling had a history of medical issues, including a previous stroke requiring angioplasty, and suffered from depression. “Despite his physical limitations, he would still engage in confrontations,” Mr Chua remarked in Mandarin, acknowledging his brother’s reportedly difficult temperament.
Residents paint a complex picture of community relations within the block. Madam Koh Peck Heng, 71, who previously provided meals for the deceased, ceased this arrangement following a verbal dispute. The accused, a security guard at a local car park, had been a resident for approximately two decades, generally maintaining cordial relations with neighbours.
A witness, Mr Muhammad, a taxi driver in his 30s, reported hearing shouts and commotion during the incident. The Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that paramedics attended to both men at the scene before conveying them to hospital.
The 71-year-old suspect has been arrested on charges of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means. Police investigations into the incident continue.
