SINGAPORE – A domestic worker who suffocated her employer’s 73-year-old father with a pillow while he slept has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sumiyati, a 53-year-old Indonesian national who goes by one name, was convicted on July 29, 2026, of murder. The incident occurred at a flat in Bishan, Singapore.
The court heard that Sumiyati killed the victim, who was the father of her employer, by covering his face with a pillow as he slept. The motive was not immediately disclosed in court proceedings.
Justice Hoo Sheau Peng handed down the life sentence, which is the mandatory penalty for murder in Singapore when the death penalty is not imposed. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty in this case.
Sumiyati’s defense counsel had argued for a lesser charge, but the court found her guilty of murder based on the evidence presented.
