Philip Low | |
|---|---|
 Philip Low | |
| Born | Low Cheng Quee c. 1932 |
| Died | 20 June 1997 (aged 65) |
| Cause of death | Fatal injuries to the skull |
| Resting place | An unspecified cemetery in Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Other names | Philip Low |
| Occupation | Brothel owner |
| Known for | Murder victim |
| Spouse | Unnamed wife |
On 20 June 1997, a 65-year-old Singaporean and retiree Low Cheng Quee (Chinese: 刘振贵; pinyin: Líu Zhènguì), also known as Philip Low, was found dead inside the bedroom of his Jalan Rajah flat, where he operated a homosexual brothel, which was colloquially known as a "duck den", which thus coined the case's name as the Duck Den murder. Through the police investigations and interview of two witnesses (who found the body), the police identified Lim Chin Chong (Chinese: 林振冲; pinyin: Lín Zhènchōng),[a] an 18-year-old Malaysian prostitute who worked at Low's brothel, as the prime suspect behind Low's murder.
Lim, who fled to Malaysia after committing the crime, was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police twenty days later in Johor Bahru, and he was extradited back to Singapore to be charged with murder in relation to Low's death. In contrast to witnesses' claims that he intended to rob Low, Lim denied that he intended to commit robbery and stated he was gravely provoked into killing Low due to him resisting Low's sexual advances and the death threats Low issued to him. This led to him hitting Low on the head with a wooden block and killing him. Despite this defence and Lim's second defence of diminished responsibility, the High Court judged that Lim was not suffering from any abnormality of the mind and thus found Lim guilty of murder, which resulted in Lim receiving the death penalty for his offence.
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