‘I encouraged him to live on’: Funeral director on trial for abetting ex-boyfriend’s suicide testifies

Warning: This story mentions suicide and contains descriptions of a suicide.

SINGAPORE: A funeral director on trial for abetting her ex-boyfriend in his suicide took the stand on Monday (Mar 18), claiming that she had never touched the nitrogen tank he used in his death.  

Alverna Cher Sheue Pin, the 41-year-old owner of City Funeral SG, claimed trial to one count of intentionally aiding 32-year-old Wee Jun Xiang to die by turning on the valve of a tank of nitrogen gas four to five times and helping Mr Wee to put the tank in a lying position.

She is also accused of positioning the tank to pour the nitrogen gas into an IKEA bag, hence facilitating Mr Wee’s suicide through nitrogen gas inhalation on May 16, 2020.

She faces a second charge of obstructing justice by asking another man to drive a van containing the nitrogen tank away, disposing of evidence and lying to the police.

Testifying for the first time in the State Courts, Cher gave her account of events in the lead-up to Mr Wee’s suicide, including how she had discussed Mr Wee’s suicide with him. Cher is represented by lawyer Peter Ong. 

Cher said that she met Mr Wee in 2018 after he placed an advertisement for a funeral parlour. They became friends and entered a relationship in early 2019. 

However, the two drifted apart months later as they saw each other “less and less” due to their lifestyles, Cher said. They broke up around September or October 2019, but kept in contact as Cher still had investments with him. 

DECEASED ASKED FOR HER THOUGHTS ON DEATH 

According to Cher, Mr Wee told her about his suicidal ideations in February 2020. 

“At that time I persuaded him not to do so. I asked him why. He said because he had been owing money in the region of about S$200,000 to S$300,000,” Cher said through a Mandarin interpreter. 

The thought resurfaced later that year during the COVID-19 partial lockdown, as he had lost a lot of money in investments, according to Cher. 

“I told him that I could lend him my money, to sell away my house or property to help him,” she said. 

“Because I was in the funeral business, I have come across many dead bodies and then he asked me how not to have autopsy.”

Mr Wee raised the idea of dying by nitrogen in May 2020 and asked Cher to recommend a doctor. Cher introduced to him a doctor whom she knew from her line of work. 

Some time later, Mr Wee had a conversation with Cher in his car, repeating his desire to end his life but also leave money for his family members and relatives. 

“During that one hour in the car, he said that he did not want people to know that he committed suicide and he wanted me to help him to hide this from other people. He asked me to help him dispose of his handphone, computer and also the nitrogen tank. 

“Basically … he wanted his daughter to remember him as a father who is rich … when he said those things I did not respond I was just crying and I encouraged him to live on,” said Cher, her voice hitching as she wiped her tears. 

She added that she had never come across nitrogen being used as a method of dying and thought it was “impossible”.

Mr Wee had suggested ending his life on a particular day in May. But Cher dissuaded him as it was Mothers’ Day and told him it would “break your mother’s heart”. 

Cher had also sent a screenshot of her WhatsApp conversation with the doctor to Mr Wee. She told the court what she told him, that “if he died and I really could help him to get rid of the evidence, then I felt like I was a successful artiste.”

Probed by her lawyer on what she meant, Cher said that she could win an acting award if she managed to get rid of the evidence and deceive others that Mr Wee had not died by suicide.

According to Cher, Mr Wee said he would receive a “compensation” of less than S$1 million (USD$747,000) if the cause of death was suicide, compared to S$7 million from other causes. 

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Cher had been a beneficiary in a S$1 million life policy Mr Wee had purchased in 2019. Cher testified on Monday that she was to receive S$200,000 as a beneficiary.

Asked about the sum, Cher said she did not want the money. 

“When he told me that he wanted to commit suicide, all I thought of was to persuade him not to do so. I told him that actually for the problem of being in debt … this problem can be solved.

“I also suggested that he could come to work in my company but he said that no, he could not work for anyone because he was someone who had an ego and he would not bow to anyone … I told him I do not want your money and those are in the WhatsApp.” 

Mr Ong asked his client about her financial status, and Cher said that she was financially independent and without credit card or personal debt. 

“I raised two children independently for 17 years and I have never taken a cent from my ex-husband. I’ve been doing this alone independently.” 

NEARING DATE OF SUICIDE

On May 15, 2020, Mr Wee allegedly brought Cher to a tall housing block in Marine Parade where he suggested ending his life by jumping off the building. 

“I told him that if you jumped down from 20 over (floors), you would look terrible, very ugly. I said this cause I knew that he was (someone) who was concerned about how he looked,” Cher testified. “I said this so he would give up the idea.”

Mr Wee then allegedly brought Cher to a carpark in Bedok Reservoir, where he would eventually die by suicide. According to Cher, Mr Wee drove to the fourth floor and instructed Cher to park her vehicle to his left, adding that he would carry out his plan in the next few days. He also passed her a set of clothing for his body.  

The next day, on May 16, 2020, Mr Wee informed Cher via WhatsApp that he was commencing the suicide process and had bought a nitrogen tank. Cher then gave him a call to ask how he felt. 

“I was concerned whether he was still breathing, and I also wanted to see if I could pull him back at the last minute,” she said.