A husband who smothered his wife with a pillow after an argument in a Newcastle hotel has been jailed for life.

Soong Hert Fong and his partner Pek Ying Ling, both 51, traveled to the city from Singapore in December 2021 to visit family living in the area.

However, after the pair got into a heated argument at their accommodation on Westgate Road, Fong attempted to silence his wife by putting a pillow over her face.

Emergency services were called to County Aparthotel shortly before 7.15am on 6 December and upon arrival, discovered Mrs Pek was not breathing.

Paramedics attempted to save her life, but she was unable to be revived.

A investigation was launched and Fong was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife of nearly 30 years.

He pleaded not guilty and a trial began on 1 August at Newcastle Crown Court.

Despite the case being set to continue for several days, the dad-of-three changed his plea to guilty and the trial was abandoned.

On Friday 12 August, Fong was handed a life sentence, and will serve a minimum of 12.5 years behind bars.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Steel said: “All our thoughts remain with the couple’s three sons who have been left devastated beyond belief by the events of 6 December last year.

“Once again, I want to publicly thank them for their composure and the dignity they have shown in the face of such tragedy.

“We will continue to support them in any way we can and we ask that everyone respects their privacy at this extremely difficult time.”

He added: “We want to be clear that we will absolutely not tolerate domestic abuse or violence in any form.

“When incidents of this nature do occur, we are committed to bringing those responsible to justice.”

Domestic abuse help and support

If you are in immediate danger always call the police, and always dial 999 if it is an emergency and press 55 if you can’t talk (only on mobile phones).

If you are experiencing domestic abuse and need immediate help, ask for ‘ANI’ in a participating pharmacy. ‘ANI’ stands for Action Needed Immediately but also phonetically sounds like the name Annie. If a pharmacy has the ‘Ask for ANI’ logo on display, it means they’re ready to help. They will offer you a private space, provide a phone and ask if you need support from the police or other domestic abuse support service.

Refuge  supports more than 6,000 clients on any one day, helping them rebuild their lives and overcome many different forms of violence and abuse - including domestic violence, sexual violence, so-called ‘honour’-based violence, human trafficking and modern slavery, and female genital mutilation.

If you, or someone you care about, is experiencing domestic abuse, you can phone The National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Women's Aid  is a national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. For information and support, email helpline@womensaid.org.uk  or use the instant messaging service .

Victim Support  helps people who have recently experienced domestic abuse as well as both men and women, weeks, months and years afterwards.

If you need to speak to someone, call its free, 24-hour Supportline on 080816 89111 or start a live chat  any time.

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