A 90-year-old man charged with fatally attacking his wife in their Bukit Panjang flat in 2024 has been deemed unfit to stand trial, the prosecution told the High Court on August 3. The case marks the first under a legal framework that assesses the mental capacity of accused persons to make a defence.
Ridawi Morsudin faces a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the death of his wife, Aminah Abdul, aged 74, sustained between the evening of June 4 and the early hours of June 5, 2024. Prosecutors said Ridawi was the only person with the victim during the six-hour window, and evidence indicated he inflicted multiple fatal injuries.
Upon police arrival at the flat on Petir Road, Ridawi was disoriented and incoherent. Medical examination confirmed he was unable to recall events clearly. The victim was found with at least 34 distinct slash and stab wounds, fractures to her jaw, collarbone, ribs, and lungs. Bloodstains matching the victim were located on two pairs of scissors recovered at the scene and on Ridawi’s clothing.
Ridawi has a documented history of significant cognitive decline since 2022. Reports indicated he became increasingly aggressive, confused, and prone to wandering. Police records show multiple incidents where he was found lost or disoriented between 2023 and 2024. He was diagnosed with mixed dementia following a hospital stay in early 2024 and placed under daytime care and supervised at home. Family members secured the flat to prevent him from leaving unsupervised, while a CCTV camera provided live monitoring without recorded footage.
The case was heard via video link from Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre, with interpretation services provided. Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yong Ngee informed the court that Ridawi has been assessed as lacking the mental capacity to plead, citing diagnoses of major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s and vascular disease, alongside behavioural disturbances.
This legal process requires the trial judge to determine Ridawi’s competency to make a defence. If found unfit, the judge must report to the Law Minister and recommend a national imprisonment period, which functions as a confinement limit subject to ministerial order. The prosecution requested a five-year supervision period, while defence counsel Taufiq Suraidi proposed a shorter term of two to three years, considering Ridawi’s age and health.
A psychiatric evaluation in June 2024 concluded that Ridawi may have been experiencing delirium at the time of the offence and judged him unfit to plead. A follow-up in August 2025 reaffirmed his severe cognitive impairment and low risk of violent reoffending, stating he is unlikely to regain fitness for trial.
Justice Hoo Sheau Peng is expected to deliver her decision on August 13, emphasizing careful consideration given the case’s unprecedented nature.