It was also revealed that Annie Ee had an intellectual disability, which was one of the factors (besides the cruelty and extent of injuries) behind the public outcry against the couple.

Over time, the beatings increased by duration (up to two hours) and intensity, under the pretext of bad behaviour on Ee's part (e.g. lying or using the shower too long), and they even wanted her to verbalise her "mistakes" and declare she would "change".

[8] During the time she was abused by Tan and Pua, Annie Ee remained silent and did not seek help for her predicament, which was also partly due to her intellectual disability.

The beatings also caused Ee to have difficulty walking, standing and breathing, and she additionally became incontinent during the final days leading to her death.

Within the past few weeks, both Tan and Pua noticed that Ee had gotten considerably weak and decide to not beat her to allow her to recuperate, and they kept measuring her blood pressure and heart rate to check if there was anything abnormal.

[9] On the morning of 13 April 2015, upon discovering that Annie Ee had died, Pua removed a layer of plastic from the shrink wrap and flushed it down the toilet to get rid of both his and his wife's fingerprints.

[9] Both 31-year-old Tan Hui Zhen and 35-year-old Pua Hak Chuan were arrested and, on 15 April 2015, they were charged in court with murder, an offence that warrants the death penalty in Singapore (or at least life imprisonment) if found guilty.

The condition, which rarely causes death, occurred when the blunt force impact from the beatings landed on Ee's buttocks, which led to fatty tissue entering her bloodstream and traveling to her lungs, which led to a blockage of the blood vessels, hindering the circulation of oxygen in her lungs, leading to cardiac and respiratory failure.

DPP Phang also reminded the court that Ee was subjected to psychological and physical torture for eight months, and her "excruiating" death occurred as a result of the couple's "use of gratuitous violence and senseless brutality".

He also submitted to the court the psychiatric reports from Dr Kenneth Koh of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), in which Dr Koh certified that Tan had multiple psychiatric conditions, including borderline personality disorder and depression, which gave rise to her complex mental state and diminished responsibility, which was partly aggravated by the three miscarriages Tan had in the past.

Justice Hoo, who admonished the couple for their lack of remorse and repentance, also described the case as "appalling" and said the abuse was inflicted upon Ee in an "extremely cruel and inhumane manner", which caused the 26-year-old waitress to die an undignified death.

Due to the aggravating nature of the case, Justice Hoo believed that a substantial sentence was needed to reflect the gravity of Pua's and Tan's offences.

[17] After the sentencing trial of Pua Hak Chuan and Tan Hui Zhen, their families were approached by the reporters for interviews regarding the case.

[1][22][23] The Woodlands flat where Annie Ee died was eventually rented out to a family, who moved in a month before the sentencing of Tan and Pua.

The neighbours of Annie Ee, who were shocked at the gravity of her abuse when it came to light, have also moved on with their lives despite remembering the case and presence of police officers at the flat during their investigations.

From the public's perspective, they felt that the gradual torture and inhumane treatment which lasted for eight months and ended with Ee's death should be considered as an act of murder by common sense.

[24][25] Though the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) stepped forward to gave an explanation behind their decision to reduce the murder charges, the public remained unconvinced.

[26] An online petition for a harsher punishment was filed by the public, which quickly gathered more than 35,000 signatures by December 2017, as the netizens felt that the sentences sought by the prosecution against Tan and Pua were too light; some even argued for the couple to be sentenced to death for their callous crimes against Ee, and the defence lawyers were condemned for defending the couple.

[28] On 18 December 2017, in response to the public outrage against the prosecution's decision, the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) replied and explained why Tan and Pua were not charged and found guilty of murder.

[31][17] Attorney-General Lucien Wong also made a public speech in January 2018, stating that the AGC will not be swayed by a vocal minority, but will keep a more open communication to deliver their philosophy to a wider audience.

[36] Overall, the tragic case of Annie Ee's death and the resulting righteous anger from the public has brought to light the need for a sound court system.

[37] In 2018, due to the lingering effects of the Annie Ee case, the Parliament of Singapore discussed and agreed to amend laws to legalize harsher punishments for offenders who commit crimes against vulnerable groups like children, domestic workers and disabled people (whether mentally or physically).