A prominent aesthetic doctor, Chua Cheng Yu, 40, was convicted on 5 August 2025 after he admitted to a series of escalating acts of violence and harassment against his former girlfriend, culminating in a dramatic public abduction.
Chua pleaded guilty to four serious charges: use of criminal force, causing intentional harassment and distress, voluntarily causing hurt, and unlawful restraint. The court has set October 1 as the date for sentencing.
The troubling series of events unfolded over the course of a year, beginning in 2023, when Chua was in a deteriorating romantic relationship with his ex-girlfriend, a former manager at his clinic, Veritas Medical Aesthetics. The relationship was described as rocky, filled with arguments and tension. The victim eventually resigned from the clinic in March 2023 to end the relationship both professionally and personally.
But Chua did not let go.
On April 1, 2023, around 8 PM, he went to her apartment, forced his way in when she opened the door, and began to trash her home. Accusing her of infidelity, he took her laptop and hair dryer, and during the heated argument, pushed her, causing her head to hit a wall. He returned several times that night, including around 10 PM, forcibly taking her phone and condo gate remote. During another scuffle, he shoved her again, leading her to fall and hit her head on the floor. He left with her belongings.
Later that same night, at midnight, he came back yet again, lured her downstairs by claiming he would return her phone, only to run off with her house key.
On May 24, 2023, after picking the victim up from dinner, Chua attempted to persuade her to store his belongings at her place and vice versa as a way to “secure their relationship.” When she declined and exited his car, Chua began bombarding her with messages on Telegram and even used a mobile game app to threaten her with the exposure of intimate images.
His obsession escalated further.
On March 1, 2024, Chua showed up outside International Plaza at around 10 PM after she ignored several of his calls. He confronted her on the street, begging and crying for her to get into his car. When she refused, he forcefully bear-hugged her, dragged her to the car, shoved her inside, and sped off.
The entire incident was recorded on CCTV and his own in-car camera, and was presented in court.
During the ride, the victim tried to escape through the window at a traffic stop, but Chua pulled her back in. She eventually convinced him to drive to her apartment under the pretext of feeding her cats. As they neared her condo, she jumped out of the car window, ran across the road, but was chased and tackled to the ground by Chua. He attempted to drag her back to his car, but she managed to break free and ran to a security guard, who shielded her. Chua fled the scene, still in possession of her belongings.
The victim sustained multiple abrasions and bruises from the incident.
Chua was later arrested at the basement of a Novena hotel at 3:14 AM on March 2, 2024.
Though Chua was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the prosecution confirmed that he was mentally sound during the offence. A mandatory treatment order suitability report has been ordered, which could see Chua undergoing psychiatric treatment instead of jail, if deemed appropriate.
The prosecution is seeking compensation, with the final amount pending medical expenses claimed by the victim. She has also submitted her own compensation claim.
Chua remains listed as a doctor at Veritas Medical Aesthetics, but his future as a medical professional could now be in question.
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