SINGAPORE: A teenager accused of killing a 13-year-old boy at River Valley High School will plead guilty at the High Court in August.
Now 18, he faces a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
This charge carries a sentence of life imprisonment with caning, or imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine or caning.
At a hearing at a district court on Thursday (Apr 6), a district judge transferred the matter to the High Court, where his plea of guilt will be taken.
The teen, whose identity is protected by a gag order, appeared in court via video-link with his head shaved. He was wearing a mask.
The court heard that the teen informed the prosecution of his intention to plead guilty during a case conference on Mar 21.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh informed the court that a tentative date for the plea of guilt had been fixed on Aug 7.
Defence lawyer Joyce Khoo then confirmed that her client intended to plead guilty, and had no objections to the matter being heard in the High Court.
The teen was 16 when he allegedly slashed the head, neck and body of the victim with an axe measuring 50cm by 22cm between 11.16am and 11.44am on Jul 19, 2021.
Police found the victim lying motionless in a toilet at River Valley High School. Preliminary investigations at the time showed that the accused and the victim did not know each other.
The teen was originally charged with murder. This was amended in February after he was assessed by Institute of Mental Health (IMH) doctors and found to have been suffering from clinical depression at the time of the incident, the Attorney-General’s Chambers previously said.
According to past court hearings, the teen was previously seen as a patient at IMH, including after a suicide attempt when he was 14.