SINGAPORE

A teenage Indonesian maid who strangled an 87-year-old Singaporean widow just five days after starting work was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in jail, judicial sources said.

Vitria Depsi Wahyuno, 19, had pleaded guilty to killing her employer Sng Gek Wah but the defence asked for leniency, saying the maid suffered verbal abuse from the victim and was only 16 when the incident occurred in November 2009.

Prosecutors had demanded a 20-year jail term for culpable homicide.

During the trial, the defence said Wahyuno was of low intelligence and could not cope with a demanding employer.

The court was also told the Wahyuno had lied about her age and declared she was 23 to meet a minimum-age requirement for foreign maids.