Man charged with son's murder in remand

The Belgian expatriate accused of killing his five-year-old son was yesterday remanded for three weeks at the medical complex in Changi Prison for psychiatric evaluation.

Restrained at the wrists and escorted by plainclothes policemen, 41-year-old Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart arrived at the State Courts in the morning in an unmarked police car looking dazed and tired.

He stood expressionless in the dock as the charge of murdering his boy, Keryan Gabriel Cedric Graffart, was read out.

No plea was taken from Graffart, who was dressed in a black T-shirt and blue shorts. He was observed looking around the public gallery.

None of his family members or friends were in court.

A day before, police had found him with apparently self-inflicted injuries outside Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre just after 5am.

After he was taken to a hospital, police went to his 32nd-storey apartment at the posh D'Leedon condominium at Leedon Heights.

There, they found Keryan dead in a bedroom. Hand-shaped bruises were supposedly found all over his neck.

According to the charges read to Graffart yesterday, he is accused of killing Keryan in the apartment some time between 8.54pm on Monday and 5.29am on Tuesday.

A maid who worked for Graffart told The Straits Times that he had quarrelled with his former wife over the phone on Monday night. But she heard nothing strange through the night, until the police knocked on the door at around 6am. She said that she led the officers to the boy's room, where he was found motionless on a bed.

The boy's mother is believed to be working in Singapore.

According to the maid, Keryan would spend a week with his mother, then another week with his father. It is believed that Graffart is fighting with his former wife for custody of the boy.

He works for the Singapore investment management arm of Nordea, a company that describes itself as the largest financial group in northern Europe.

General manager of Nordea Private Banking in Singapore, Kim Osborg Nielsen, told The Straits Times that the firm is aware of the case. He said: "We send our regards to the family and we understand that there are investigations. We will follow the course of decisions."

Graffart's Facebook page is peppered with photos of him and his son, who recently celebrated his fifth birthday. One picture showed Graffart embracing Keryan, dressed in his school uniform and smiling, at the Canadian International School.

In a statement, a spokesman for the school said it was deeply saddened to learn of Keryan's death. He added: "Our school leaders and counsellors are on hand to offer support to all members of our community."

Graffart's case will be heard again on Oct 28. He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.

amirh@sph.com.sg
nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

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