By Elena Chong
The Straits Times
Sunday, Dec 16, 2012

SINGAPORE – A tutor accused of a catalogue of horrific attacks on her maid allegedly threatened to pay someone to kill her mother if the maid reported her to police.

Low Gek Hong, 34, faces 18 charges – 15 for abusing the maid plus one each of criminal intimidation, insulting modesty and using criminal force.

She is said to have threatened to hire a killer for $500 if the maid told the authorities that she abused her.

Low is accused of hitting the woman repeatedly on the arms and legs with a plastic-coated metal hanger, splashing a bowl of water on her and scratching her on the arms, ears and face.

It is claimed that she poked her back with scissors, whacked her around the head three times with a mug, poured hot water on her back, slapped, bit and kicked her.

One charge accuses her of coiling a plastic oxygen tube around her neck to choke her.

Low also faces allegations that she hit her on the legs repeatedly with the oxygen tube, punched her causing her nose to bleed and bent her fingers repeatedly.

The most serious charge she is accused of is causing grievous hurt by repeatedly bending the maid’s fingers, resulting in a fracture of her left little finger.

The alleged offences took place at her Tampines flat between December last year and February this year. Low’s mother employed the maid, from Myanmar, who had worked in the household for about six months.

Low, who does not have a lawyer, is also alleged to have taken nude photographs of the maid in the toilet without her consent.

She is claiming trial to the charges and told District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam that she had been diagnosed with depression, and was taking care of her sickly father. She will be back in court on Jan 24.

If convicted of causing hurt to the maid, she can be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to $7,500 on each charge. For causing grievous hurt, she can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined.

Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Crime/Story/A1Story20121214-389572.html