Woman who aided former boyfriend's suicide gets jail

Funeral director who then lied about how he died sentenced to 6 years and 2 months' jail

- Christine Tan

A funeral director who aided her former boyfriend's suicide and lied about how he had died was sentenced to six years and two months' jail on Oct 18.

District Judge Shawn Ho concluded that Alverna Cher Sheue Pin had been involved in Mr Sean Wee Jun Xiang's suicide plans, including by joining a "trial run" of the act and agreeing to oversee his funeral arrangements.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Ho said: "The offence of abetting suicide clearly signals society's opposition to suicide. Life is sacred."

Cher has filed an appeal against her conviction and sentence.

The 42-year-old was found guilty on Sept 13 of intentionally aiding the suicide of Mr Wee, 32, on May 16, 2020, and obstructing the course of justice.

Cher, the director of City Funeral Singapore and Christian Funeral Singapore, was first charged in December 2020 with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The charge was reduced in October 2021 to aiding Mr Wee's suicide.

The single mother of two had planned to plead guilty in July 2023, but changed her mind and claimed trial to the two charges.

Cher and Mr Wee started a romantic relationship in 2019.

The court previously heard that Mr Wee made Cher the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy he had purchased. She was to receive 20 per cent of the payout.

However, it was revealed that as Mr Wee died less than a year after the insurance policy was purchased, Cher did not receive any payout.