SINGAPORE — A Singaporean man was sentenced to one week’s jail today for failing to report the death of his girlfriend, whose body was only discovered four days after he found her dead in her Hougang home.

Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that Jason Hong Kai Qi, 34, had initially been charged with concealing a corpse, but the charge was later downgraded.

Alongside the one-week sentence for failing to report the death, Hong received additional penalties for unrelated traffic offences, bringing his total jail term to three months and one week, a fine of S$1,000 (US$786) and a 12-month driving ban.

Court documents did not reveal the name of the deceased, who had two children from a previous marriage.

The case

The report further stated that the court heard that Hong discovered his 33-year-old girlfriend unresponsive on Apr 23, 2024. She was lying on her bed with a blanket up to her neck in a darkened bedroom.

Hong attempted to resuscitate her using an inhaler and chest compressions, but she remained unresponsive.

He then took some of his belongings, left the unit and placed his condominium access card in a sealed envelope outside. Hong did not call for medical help or inform the police of her death.

Hours later, he sent messages to the woman’s sister saying only that the girlfriend was uncontactable.

Four days later, on Apr 27, the sister visited the unit with the children and discovered the woman’s body, which was in a state of decomposition.

Paramedics confirmed she had died. An autopsy could not determine a cause of death due to the advanced decomposition.