Belgian man pleads guilty to killing 5-year-old son in D'Leedon condominium


Belgian expatriate Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart seen arriving at the State Courts in October 2015. He pleaded guilty on August 1 having admitted to causing the death of his five-year-old son last October. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network

SINGAPORE: Belgian expatriate Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart pleaded guilty on Monday in the High Court to a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, having admitted to causing the death of his five-year-old son last October.

Graffart, 42, admitted causing the death of Keryan Gabriel Cedric Graffart at his 32nd-storey apartment in Leedon Heights last year between 9pm and 10.17pm on Oct 5. 

He is accused of pressing a cushion over the boy's head, preventing him from breathing.

Graffart, who was believed to have been fighting for the boy's custody with his wife at the time, had turned up injured at Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Post just after 5am on Oct 6.

An hour later, police went to his condominium at D'Leedon and found the body of his son in a bedroom. The boy was pronounced dead by paramedics at 6.17am.

The court heard on Monday that after killing his son, Graffart tried to commit suicide by crashing his car into Marina Coast Expressway (MCE) tunnel.

Related Story
Belgian accused of killing son to be remanded another six weeks pending forensics report

Graffart was head of the Singapore investment management arm of Nordea, a company that describes itself as the largest financial group in northern Europe.

At a mention in the State Courts in March, the prosecution said that it would amend the charge against Graffart from murder to culpable homicide if he chose to plead guilty.

He will be sentenced on Aug 22. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Regional

Does China have a robot bubble?
Social app RedNote expanding beyond China despite privacy concerns
China's smaller manufacturers look to catch the automation wave
China public servants use face masks to bypass facial recognition to help each other skip work
Taiwan RedNote ban backfires, driving mainland Chinese app’s top download rise
Chinese smart glasses firms eye overseas conquest
India says mandatory phone app can be deleted after backlash
120,000 home cameras were hacked for sexual videos, South Korean police say
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Monday (Dec 01, 2025)
Hong Kong govt pledges free housing for Tai Po victims until homes are rebuilt

Others Also Read