Jail for elderly man who assaulted brother over purported inheritance

He used a metal pole to attack the victim, and one year later torched parts of his flat

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

Upset at being left out of his late father's purported inheritance, an elderly man used a metal pole to assault his younger brother after the latter refused to give him any money.

Hoe San Peng was still angry more than a year after the assault, when he torched the front door and living room of his sibling's flat.

The 72-year-old man was sentenced to a year and 11 months' jail on March 11. He had pleaded guilty to offences including assault and committing mischief by fire.

In 2021, the father of the two men sold his flat and moved in with the victim, 68.

When the father died in March 2023, Hoe expected an inheritance.

Instead, he found out that his younger brother was the sole recipient of the proceeds from the sale of the flat, while he did not receive anything.

Court documents did not disclose if their father bequeathed any inheritance.

Hoe, who did not attend his father's funeral, went to his brother's home the following month to confront him about the purported inheritance.