Too much love can kill or end in tragedy

SINGAPORE - Details of the love story behind the couple at the centre of the 2008 stabbings in Yishun were revealed in court yesterday.

Accused Wang Zhijian gave investigation office Assistant Superintendent Jason Lim an account of his relationship with deceased Zhang Meng.

In his statement, which was read out in court on Thursday, Wang said that he had a tattoo on his back of Madam Zhang.

According to local media reports he also revealed that they had a tumultuous relationship with many break-ups and reconciliations.

He did not know she was married until about a year into their relationship.

When she confessed to him in June 2006, he decided to end it. But she convinced him not to.

Three months later, he wanted to break up as he suspected she was seeing other men, reported The Straits Times.

But this time, she reaffirmed his love to him by pricking her finger and writing in Chinese characters, "I love Wang Zhi" on a piece of paper.

But she stopped saying her finger hurt. She asked him to prick his finger and finish what she wanted to say. He obliged and added the words "Jian I want to marry him".

In November 2006, Madam Zhang told her husband about Wang. Her husband, Mr Feng Jinqiang, met up with Wang and Madam Zhange and calmly let her choose who she wanted to be with.

Madam Zhang said she chose Wang as she did not have feelings for her husband.

Two days later he received many calls from Madam Zhang's younger brother, younger sister and brother-in-law.

They pestered him to go to Madam Zhang's home. He was beaten up by her sister and brother when he got there. Her brother also threatened to kill him.

Wang and Madam Zhang fled Tianjin for Chengdu after Chinese New Year but returned after 20 days as she missed her daughter.

Wang resigned from his job in April 2007 on medical grounds and received a pension.

According to the national daily, he spent 100,000 Yuan on branded clothes and expensive meals for Madam Zhang in three months.

In May 2007, he tattooed her picture and a rose on his back.

Zhang left later that month to tend to Mr Feng, who had had a stroke.

In July, they broke up but patched things up in September. Between September and November 2007, she and her daughter Jianyu stayed with him. Jianyu later got a place in a school in Singapore.

They broke up again in March 2008 and he moved into a new place without telling her.

But Madam Zhang tracked him down when she returned to Tianjin and rekindled their relationship. Madam Zhang then returned to Singapore when the school term started.

Two months later, when she went back to Tianjin she asked him to follow her to Singapore.

On September 19, he was arrested for her murder in Singapore.

The trial continues next Friday.

dassa@sph.com.sg

Details of Yishun triple murders revealed Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao, ST & TNP)
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