Orchard Towers death: Duo get jail terms for assault
SINGAPORE — Two men who had their murder charges reduced to assault last month over the death of a man at Orchard Towers in July last year following an altercation were sentenced to jail at the State Courts on Wednesday (4 March).
Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26, was jailed for four weeks after he pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt to Satheesh Noel Gobidass. A charge of consorting with a person with an offensive weapon was considered in sentencing.
Ang Da Yuan, also 26, was jailed for eight months along with six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one charge each of causing hurt to Satheesh and consorting with a person who had an offensive weapon.
The altercation in the early hours of 2 July was captured by CCTV cameras and widely viewed online. The 31-year-old victim died shortly afterwards.
Joel and Ang are the first among a total of seven accused persons involved in the case to be dealt with.
Both men, who have been in remand at Changi Prison for the last eight months, had their sentences backdated by District Judge Ng Peng Hong to the dates of their remand.
However, Ang will continue to be detained until his caning is carried out, at a time deemed appropriate by the prison authorities, not exceeding four weeks from now.
Night out drinking
More details of the case and the respective roles that the suspects played in the altercation emerged in court on Wednesday. CCTV footage of the altercation was also played.
Ang worked as a front desk staff at a hotel while Joel worked as an office administrator at a dormitory at Kallang Avenue. At about 11.30pm on 1 July, Ang went to look for Joel at his workplace.
After Joel finished his work at about midnight on 2 July, the duo made their way to Club Mao at Oriental Plaza in Chinatown to drink beer. Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, 23, whom Joel had contacted to join them, arrived at about 1am. Ang also asked along another friend.
About an hour later, the group went to Club Peaches along Orchard Road, where they drank more alcohol and met up with more friends. At about 5am, the group went to meet other friends at Club AURA, also along Orchard Road. Among the group, which now had 10 people, was Tan Sen Yang, 28.
As the club was closing, the group walked over to Naughty Girl Club at Orchard Towers nearby, where they drank even more alcohol. At one point, Tan Sen Yang took out a kerambit knife from his pants pocket and slammed it on the table but Joel “tapped on the knife to cover it, and pushed it towards Tan (Sen Yang), telling Tan to keep the knife and not show it around,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Ang Feng Qian.
Altercation outside club
The group decided to call it a night at about 6.20am. As they were walking out of the second-floor nightspot, another group of five men walked into the club via its narrow entrance.
“As Joel stepped out with the rest of his group, he heard an exchange of terse and vulgar words between Tan (Sen Yang) and persons from the other group. Secret society slogans were exchanged between the accused persons’ group and the other group, with Ang and Tan (Sen Yang) shouting ‘Wan Ah Wan, Sio Loh Kuan,’” said DPP Ang.
“Ang saw Tan (Sen Yang) confronting the other group and taunting the other group to ‘come’. Ang therefore decided to confront them as well, and asked them ‘What you all want? If you all want to talk, you all can talk next time or we can meet downstairs also can,’” added the prosecutor.
Bouncers at the club intervened to separate the groups and other people began to congregate near the entrance of the club, including Satheesh and Muhammad Fairus Bin Muhammad Ali, 30.
During the altercation, Tan Sen Yang took out his kerambit knife and waved it above his head for everyone to see, the court heard. He also swung the knife around, slashing a bouncer on the finger and Fairus in the face.
“Meanwhile, Natalie dashed towards the persons at the doorway, and jumped at people. She also flipped a table positioned near the club entrance onto the floor. She had to be repeatedly pulled back by persons from the accused persons’ group, including Joel,” said DPP Ang.
“After some scuffling, someone shouted ‘Police’ and the accused persons’ group thereafter left and took the lift in Orchard Towers to the ground floor. While in the lift, Tan (Sen Yang) informed the rest of the group, including Joel and Ang, that he had slashed someone at Naughty Girl Club,” the prosecutor added.
Assault on victim
At about 6.25am, Ang and Joel’s groups exited the lift and walked towards the exit of Orchard Towers. Tan Sen Yang walked in front of the group while Ang and Joel were at the back.
“As Tan (Sen Yang) exited Orchard Towers, the victim came down the escalator alone to the ground floor and confronted Ang, by pointing at Ang and shouting what the accused persons’ group wanted. Ang retaliated by shoving him away, and the victim then shoved Ang back with greater force into the shutters of a closed shop unit,” said DPP Ang.
“Joel, who had just walked out of Orchard Towers, heard the commotion and returned to assist Ang. Tan (Sen Yang) also came back, brandishing his kerambit knife,” the prosecutor added.
Ang and the victim exchanged punches before Joel intervened by standing between them. The victim then tried to punch Joel and the latter pushed his palm out towards the victim’s face.
“Tan (Sen Yang) then swung the blade of his kerambit knife at the region of the victim’s lower jaw and neck in a punching motion with his right hand, and slashed him a few times. Immediately after that, Joel noticed a lot of blood on the victim’s face,” said DPP Ang.
“Natalie continued to kick and swing her arm at the victim a few times. Joel then threw a punch at the victim, which hit the back of his head as he was retreating,” added the prosecutor. Satheesh walked further backwards away from the group.
Tan Sen Yang was pulled away by his friends. Natalie went towards the victim again but Joel pulled her back. By this point, Satheesh was bleeding profusely and his blood was dripping onto the floor.
“Ang however continued in his aggression towards the victim, and punched the victim in the facial region, even after the victim retreated backwards. Ang was eventually restrained by other members of the accused persons’ group. The accused persons’ group then hurriedly left Orchard Towers,” said DPP Ang.
Victim died from stab wound
Satheesh took a few steps towards the entrance of Orchard Towers before collapsing face-first onto the floor. A bouncer from Naughty Girl Club heard screams and rushed to see the victim collapse.
The bouncer tried to chase after the perpetrators but they fled in different directions. “Joel managed to board a taxi to leave as the witness was chasing the accused person’s group,” said DPP Ang.
Some passers-by tried to help Satheesh by pressing down on his neck with tissue papers and bandages in a bid to stem the bleeding. An ambulance arrived shortly after. But Satheesh died from his injuries at about 7.25am.
An autopsy found numerous stabs and cuts on the victim, whose cause of death was certified to be from a stab wound to the neck.
The prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed on the sentence that was meted out. DPP Ang noted, among other things, that the incident had caused public disquiet.
Joel’s lawyer Josephus Tan from Invictus Law said his client, who does not have a criminal record, was not the main instigator in the assault and had shown almost immediate remorse by persuading his friends to turn themselves in at Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre barely two hours after the fatal incident.
Ang’s lawyer Anil Singh from Kertar and Sandhu said his client was remorseful and “deeply regrets that a life has been lost and he will have to bear this burden for the rest of his life”.
Ang had been given 12 months’ probation in 2010 for disorderly behaviour, and was jailed for three weeks each in 2017 and 2018, both times for assault.
For causing hurt, both men could have been jailed for up to two years and also fined up to $5,000.
The punishment for consorting with a person who has an offensive weapon is a jail term of up to three years with mandatory caning of at least six strokes.
Of the remaining suspects involved in the case, Tan Sen Yang still faces a murder charge.
The cases for the other four suspects - Natalie, Tan Hong Sheng, 22, Chan Jia Xing, 26, and Loo Boon Chong, 25 - are pending before the State Courts. They had their murder charges reduced to assault and/or consorting with a person with an offensive weapon.
Related stories:
Orchard Towers murder case: Duo get charges reduced to assault
Orchard Towers murder case: Natalie Siow faces 2 new charges
Orchard Towers murder case: Natalie Siow faces reduced charge of causing hurt
Man who absconded Orchard Towers murder hearing re-arrested, faces fresh rioting charge
Orchard Towers death: Three suspects have murder charges withdrawn
Orchard Towers assault: 7 charged with murder of 31-year-old man
8 men, women arrested for murder after man collapsed at Orchard Towers and died
