Man pleads not guilty to murder in Geylang lodging house
A 53-year-old man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (28 February) to committing murder in a lodging house in Geylang in 2014.
Chan Lie Sian is accused of killing Tiang Hung Wai William, 35, on 14 January 2014 with a metal dumbbell rod weighing almost 1.5kg.
Wearing a prison attire before Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau in the High Court, Chan was calm as the murder charge was read to him in Mandarin.
The court was told that Chan was adamant that Tiang stole $6,500 from him while he was sleeping in the lodging house in Lorong 18 Geylang, which Chan was allegedly using for prostitution purposes.
Chan allegedly confronted Tiang in the house and used the metal rod to attack the victim on his head.
Tiang passed away on 21 January 2014, a day short of his 36th birthday. It wasn’t stated in court how Chan and Tiang were related to each other.
In her opening address, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) April Phang said that Chan had the intention of causing Tiang’s death after demanding that the victim meet him at the lodging house.
The prosecution will be calling a total of 51 witnesses. The hearing will resume on Wednesday (1 March).
