On 1 September 2019, at a four-room flat in Toa Payoh, 82-year-old Pak Kian Huat (白建发 Bái Jiànfā), alias Pek Kiah Huat, brandished a chopper and attacked his longtime domestic partner Lim Soi Moy (林细妹 Lín Xìmèi), and inflicted a total of 54 injuries on 79-year-old Lim, who died as a result.

[5] An autopsy report later showed that Lim suffered a total of 54 injuries, including 31 on her face, and these were inflicted with great force using a chopper, and bruises and fractures were also discovered all over the body.

[6] On 2 September 2019, the suspect, identified as 82-year-old Pak Kian Huat, was charged with the murder of Lim Soi Moy in a district court.

District Judge Christopher Goh directed a court order for Pak to be held in remand in police custody at the Central Police Division and revist the crime scene to assist in the murder investigation,[7][8] and Pak was also scheduled on 9 September 2019 to undergo psychiatric evaluation after the completion of investigations.

She once sold noodles at a hawker stall, and once went to a bus interchange in Toa Payoh to sell food to support her family.

Since 2013, Lim worked as a kitchen assistant at Safra Toa Payoh McDonald's outlet, and she retired only in 2019, a few months before she was killed.

[16] The following was the official version of the murder of Lim Soi Moy, based on the statements given by Pak and the evidence pieced together by the authorities.

This living arrangement went on for 15 years without any hitches, but on 26 August 2019, Pak hoped to switch to the vacant bedroom meant for their children.

Justice Abdullah warned him that if Pak continued to dispute the statement of facts, his plea of guilt would not be accepted and hence, he would be claiming trial for the original charge of murder and possibly be hanged for the crime.

Without any objections to the statement of facts like he previously did, Pak pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and was therefore convicted, and his sentencing trial was carried out on the same date.

Aside from this, per the prosecution's words, the post-killing conduct of Pak, who coldhearted put on his socks and shoes to avoid falling, demonstrated that he was remorseless, unapologetic, selfish and having no ounce of concern for his victim despite their long-term relationship.

Thuraisingam stated that Pak grew emotional and angry because he did not know how to resolve this issue, and he "acted out of character, with an irrational, disproportionate and misjudged response".

In rebuttal, the prosecution described Pak's mitigation plea as a mere opportunity for him to air his grievances against Lim, and he never made any apology to his children, which would have been the bare minimum thing a person with an ounce of genuine regret should do.

Also, Pak's "clear presence of mind" to enter the kitchen and settling on a chopper (after finding the other knives too small) also reinforced the proof of his intent to cause Lim's death.

He also disregarded Pak's advanced age of 86 as a mitigating factor, because of the severity of the offence charged and its heinous nature, which would have warranted the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Concluding that the killing of Lim Soi Moy was "deliberately and unspeakably vicious and brutal", Justice See found that a harsh sentence was warranted in the need to uphold the principles of deterrence and retribution.