Singapore—The Australian national accused in the “killer litter case” where an elderly Muslim man was killed when a wine bottle was thrown out of a high-rise building and hit him on the head is now facing an additional charge.

Forty-seven-year-old Andrew Gosling is faced with another charge that says what he did was “religiously aggravated”. The Australian had originally been charged with one count of causing death by performing a rash act. The penalty for this offense is a five-year prison sentence as well as a fine.

Later, his charge was elevated to a more serious one of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with an instrument, and as such, could find himself caned or made to pay a fine, if convicted, along with a jail sentence of as long as 15 years.

Mr Gosling threw a glass wine bottle from the seventh-floor lift landing of Spottiswoode 18 condominium on Aug 18 of this year. It hit the head of 73-year-old grandfather of nine, Nasiari Sunee, who was sitting with his family in the barbecue area of his housing block, about to eat dinner.

This occurred around 8:30 in the evening, when Mr Nasiari, a delivery driver, was sitting around a table with his family at the housewarming party of a relative, where they were all just about to have dinner.

The wine bottle reportedly hit the senior citizen in the head, causing him to suffer a fracture to the skull, which eventually led to his demise.

Mr Nasiari’s oldest son told The Straits Times (ST) that the family heard the sound of two thuds, and then Mr Nasiari fell on the ground with a wound on his head. Afterward, they saw the wine bottle.

The elderly man suffered multiple cardiac failures and eventually died in hospital the following day.

Another woman, identified as ‘Ms Manisah’ was also hit on the shoulder. It is the striking of Ms Manisah, who suffered bruises on her shoulder, which is described as a “religiously aggravated” one, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports.

Section 74 of the Penal Code says that an act is considered religiously aggravated if the offender shows hostility towards the victim based on the victim’s religion, or if the offence is motivated by hostility towards members of a particular religious group.

If Mr Gosling is found guilty of causing hurt by a weapon in a religiously aggravated manner, he may face a 10.5-year prison sentence, caning, a fine, or a combination of the three. -/TISG

Read related: More serious charges for Australian who threw wine bottle down his flat, killing a man

More serious charges for Australian who threw wine bottle down his flat, killing a man

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