Teen pleads guilty to lesser charges in Downtown East murder case

One of the 11 youths who had been accused of the alleged murder of a teen in Downtown East over a year and a half ago pleaded guilty on Wednesday to lesser charges.

Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that 21-year-old Jason Chew Wei Beng will, alongside 10 others, is being prosecuted for rioting and for voluntarily causing hurt to 19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie, who died from multiple stab wounds and other injuries sustained on the evening of 30 October 2010.

Chew’s defence council Tan Beng Swee said in mitigation that Chew is not a secret society member, that he was not aware that a fight would be taking place and that he did not carry any knives or choppers to the scene, CNA reported.

Responding to the defence, deputy public prosecutor Peggy Pao said that the charges against Chew were reduced to reflect Chew’s lesser involvement.

Separately Chew admitted to punching the head of another youth at Bishan bus interchange, alongside three friends, earlier that year in April.

For that, he could be jailed for up to two years, or be fined up to $5,000, or both.

For rioting, Chew could face up to seven years of imprisonment, as well as caning.

He will be sentenced on 6 March while cases of the others remain pending, reported local media.

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