The Knives: The Pink Knife & the Black-Handled 'Jarmay' Knife
Karl Liew claimed that 42 kitchen utensils were stolen by Parti (item 5 on the 2nd charge). These items included stainless steel pots, ceramic and glass pots, two cups and saucers, two dozen forks and spoons, chopsticks, and two knives: the items were valued at S$300.
Karl's testimony in Court was that these were items he bought while he was a student in Cardiff, Wales (United Kingdom): he was a student at Cardiff University from 1998 to 2001. He said he bought these items and shipped them back to Singapore when he returned from his studies. This would have been around the year 2002.
The case for the defence (i.e. the Appellant, Parti Liyani) is that these were items she had purchased from the following places: Cash Convertors in Toa Payoh, Hock Siong at Kampong Ampat, and NTUC (with points collected from supermarket purchases).
The case for the defence (i.e. the Appellant, Parti Liyani) is that these were items she had purchased from the following places: Cash Convertors in Toa Payoh, Hock Siong at Kampong Ampat, and NTUC (with points collected from supermarket purchases).
In Court, Parti testified that she bought these items on separate occasions between 2012 to 2014. Parti intended to bring these items back with her to Indonesia when she eventually returned for good. Parti had, by then, been working in Singapore for almost 20 years. Parti stored these items in a large box at the back of the Liew residence.
Karl, in Court, was unable to provide details as to where these kitchen utensils were stored in the home after they were allegedly shipped back from the UK.
When asked about these kitchen utensils in Court, Mdm Ng Lai Peng (Karl's mother, henceforth Mrs Liew) testified that Parti was the one that helped pack Karl's utensils when he returned from the UK. Mrs Liew also said she was present when Parti helped Karl arrange the items from the boxes. However, Parti only started working for the Liew family in 2007, some five years after Karl returned from the UK. When Defence counsel pointed out that Mrs Liew must be mistaken because Parti was not working for the Liews in 2002, Mrs Liew stuck by her assertion. When re-examined by the Prosecution, Mrs Liew continued to insist that Parti was the one who helped Karl pack his things when he returned from the UK, even when it is an objective fact that Parti was not employed by the Liews till 2007: it would have been impossible for Parti to have packed Karl's items in 2002.
The Black-Handled Knife: Evidence from Expert Witness Ms Teo from Jarmay Enterprises
Defence counsel was able to identify details on the packaging of the black-handled knife, and traced it to a company called Jarmay Enterprises, a company that manufactured and distributes knives and other kitchen items.
The owner of Jarmay Enterprises, Ms Teo, testified in Court that it was "impossible" for the black-handled knife to have been manufactured before 2006, because Jarmay only manufactured the knife after 2006. This independent evidence directly contradicts Karl's account that he had purchased this knife before/around 2002 in Wales.
The Pink Knife
In Defence's submissions, it was highlighted that Karl, during cross-examination, had "agreed that the pink knife could not have been produced before 2002". Karl reconfirmed this answer during re-examination. However, Karl had also testified in Court that he had bought all these items while he was a student in the United Kingdom, and had shipped them all back to Singapore around 2002. As noted in Defence's submissions, this would mean that "on Karl's own evidence, that the pink knife was not in his possession, and by deduction, all the other items in P1-14 could not have been with him".
In Justice Chan Seng Onn's High Court judgment, the pink knife was also mentioned. In paragraph 149, Justice Chan wrote:
Karl, in Court, was unable to provide details as to where these kitchen utensils were stored in the home after they were allegedly shipped back from the UK.
When asked about these kitchen utensils in Court, Mdm Ng Lai Peng (Karl's mother, henceforth Mrs Liew) testified that Parti was the one that helped pack Karl's utensils when he returned from the UK. Mrs Liew also said she was present when Parti helped Karl arrange the items from the boxes. However, Parti only started working for the Liew family in 2007, some five years after Karl returned from the UK. When Defence counsel pointed out that Mrs Liew must be mistaken because Parti was not working for the Liews in 2002, Mrs Liew stuck by her assertion. When re-examined by the Prosecution, Mrs Liew continued to insist that Parti was the one who helped Karl pack his things when he returned from the UK, even when it is an objective fact that Parti was not employed by the Liews till 2007: it would have been impossible for Parti to have packed Karl's items in 2002.
The Black-Handled Knife: Evidence from Expert Witness Ms Teo from Jarmay Enterprises
Defence counsel was able to identify details on the packaging of the black-handled knife, and traced it to a company called Jarmay Enterprises, a company that manufactured and distributes knives and other kitchen items.
The owner of Jarmay Enterprises, Ms Teo, testified in Court that it was "impossible" for the black-handled knife to have been manufactured before 2006, because Jarmay only manufactured the knife after 2006. This independent evidence directly contradicts Karl's account that he had purchased this knife before/around 2002 in Wales.
The Pink Knife
In Defence's submissions, it was highlighted that Karl, during cross-examination, had "agreed that the pink knife could not have been produced before 2002". Karl reconfirmed this answer during re-examination. However, Karl had also testified in Court that he had bought all these items while he was a student in the United Kingdom, and had shipped them all back to Singapore around 2002. As noted in Defence's submissions, this would mean that "on Karl's own evidence, that the pink knife was not in his possession, and by deduction, all the other items in P1-14 could not have been with him".
In Justice Chan Seng Onn's High Court judgment, the pink knife was also mentioned. In paragraph 149, Justice Chan wrote: