SINGAPORE – A woman was charged on May 9 with the murder of a 56-year-old man, but she told the court that she had not intended to murder him, calling it a case of “manslaughter”.

Li Ye, 37, a Chinese national, is accused of murdering Mr Lim Lai Guan in a unit at the Citygate Residences condominium in Beach Road at around 1.30am on May 8.

She is believed to have been in a romantic relationship with him.

Li, who appeared in court via video link, said through a Mandarin interpreter: “It’s actually manslaughter. I did not intend to murder this person.”

A search with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority revealed that she is a shareholder of a company called Pingye that deals with the retail sale of items including clothes and footwear. The company is located in a unit at Parklane Shopping Mall in Selegie Road.

In an earlier statement, the police said that officers received a call about the incident at around 2am on May 8. When they arrived, they found the victim lying unconscious in a residential unit at the 30-storey property in Beach Road.

A knife was seized at the scene and Li was arrested. Mr Lim was rushed to hospital where he died later.

Li will be remanded at the Central Police Division and her case will be mentioned again in court on May 16.

Offenders convicted of murder face the death penalty.