A domestic helper, who was apparently fed up by her employer’s mother-in-law’s constant nagging, has been jailed for five months after she was found mixing Dettol disinfectant into the woman’s cereal drink in a misguided attempt to get herself sent back home.
The Straits Times reported that 24-year-old Mya Thet Wai from Myanmar, who had been working in the Tampines household since Jan 10 this year, admitted to spiking Toh Sew Keok’s cereal drink with the intention to cause hurt to her, the court heard on Monday (Aug 14).
After the 65-year-old made her beverage and covered the cup with a lid, she went to feed her seven-month-old grandchild. Mya then took a small cup of the liquid disinfectant and poured it into the drink. Toh returned to have a sip and immediately spat out the drink, rinsing her mouth repeatedly. She was unharmed, despite the noxious concoction.
When confronted by Toh, the domestic worker initially denied her actions — but after the police were called in and recorded closed-circuit television footage was inspected, she confessed to the deed and told them she didn’t want to continue working for the household. She said she hoped that she would be sent back home after she mixed the disinfectant into the drink.
In court, Mya stated that Toh had nagged at her daily, to the point of desperation. She also noted that she realized the errors of her ways and pleaded for leniency.
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