A Singapore court has upheld a teenager's 16-year prison sentence for murdering a schoolmate with an axe

The teenager, who turned 19 this year and cannot be named because he was 16 at the time of the murder, had instead asked for a prison sentence of eight to 10 years.

In dismissing the appeal, the appeals court found that his thought process was logical and that he was aware of the nature and wrongfulness of his actions.

The three-judge court also found that the depressed teenager had refused to seek help and that there was no reason why the sentencing principle of retribution should not prevail in this case.

His defense attorney said he would not pursue other avenues such as presidential clemency.

The teenager had attacked 13-year-old Ethan Hun Zhe Kai in a school toilet on July 19, 2021, an unprecedented crime that shocked the nation.