SINGAPORE - A 57-year-old woman who was charged with killing her 63-year-old husband in 2019 has been certified by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to be of unsound mind and incapable of defending herself in court.

As a result, the High Court on Friday ordered a stay of the proceedings against Chinese national Wang Shuzhen, who allegedly killed Mr Teh Hock Pine, a retired policeman, in their Ang Mo Kio flat in the early hours of Oct 27, 2019.

Wang faces a charge of culpable homicide for allegedly hitting Mr Teh on the head at least four times with a 2.6kg glass ball that measured about 40cm in circumference. A soccer ball has a circumference of 68cm to 70cm.

The court also directed the case to be reported to the Law Minister and ordered Wang to be detained in Changi Prison pending further orders by the minister.

Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the minister may order the accused to be confined in a psychiatric institution or any other suitable place of safe custody.

In August, the prosecution applied for Wang to be remanded for psychiatric observation, for the purpose of obtaining a certificate on her fitness to stand trial.

In previous IMH reports, Wang was diagnosed with schizophrenia with psychotic symptoms.

The details of IMH’s latest report, dated Sept 28, 2022, were not disclosed in open court in Friday’s remote hearing. 

At the hearing, Wang's assigned lawyer, Ms Sadhana Rai, applied to discharge herself.

Ms Rai said Wang has a "delusional belief that my colleagues are involved in some way or another with her husband".

The lawyer said Wang can apply for legal aid again if her mental state improves.

Wang was charged on Oct 28, 2019, with the murder of Mr Teh. She was 54 years old at the time.

Police said they responded to a case of unnatural death at Block 633 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at 5.46am on Oct 27, 2019.

Mr Teh was pronounced dead by paramedics and Wang was arrested at the scene.

The murder charge was reduced to one of culpable homicide in 2021.