Singapore ― The 30-year-old involved in the Orchard Towers murders received ten new violence-related charges in court on Friday (Oct 1).
Tan Sen Yang is the last out of seven people, all of whom were charged over the brawl, who has yet to be dealt with. He still faces a capital murder charge after allegedly stabbing Satheesh Noel Gobidass, 31, around his jaw and neck at the entrance to Orchard Towers, a commercial building along the Orchard Road shopping belt, in the early hours of July 2, 2019.
Here are some details of what happened after the fatal brawl.
Mr Satheesh had confronted the group over an earlier argument outside the nightclub, and secret society slogans were exchanged between the group and his group.
During the confrontation, Tan Sen Yang swung his knife — a foldable karambit, a small curved knife resembling a claw — at everyone gathered at the entrance, slashing one of the security officers on the finger and another man on the face. He then allegedly slashed Mr Satheesh with the knife around the lower jaw and neck.
Loo Boon Chong, 29, was aware that the victim had been grievously injured by Tan Sen Yang when he boarded a taxi with him and Tan Hong Sheng, who was 22. The trio took a taxi to Boon Lay Place Market.
Loo had known Tan Sen Yang for about three years. When they left the market later, the duo went to Loo’s home to shower. Loo also gave Tan a new T-shirt to change into after noticing a patch of blood on his T-shirt.
After Tan left, Loo checked his home to ensure Tan had not left the karambit there. He then saw the blood-stained T-shirt in his bedroom.
“Intending to obstruct the course of justice by preventing the police from finding Tan’s blood-stained white T-shirt in his house and to try to avoid being implicated in Tan’s offence, the accused brought the T-shirt out of his house, and discarded it down the common rubbish chute along the corridor,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Dora Tay told the court.
Loo was the fifth person to admit to his involvement in Mr Satheesh’s death. Three others have been sentenced to jail terms, while the fourth — Chan Jia Xing, 27 — was given a year-long conditional warning in October.
Loo also admitted to one unrelated charge of gambling in public.
A third charge of consorting with Tan Sen Yang, who allegedly had an offensive weapon that morning, will be taken into consideration for sentencing on Jan 15 next year.
Tan Sen Yang is accused of carrying a karambit at the Naughty Girl Club in Orchard Towers.
Two of Tan’s fresh charges are related to the brawl. He is now further accused of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to club patron Muhammad Fairus Muhammad Ali at the entrance of Naughty Girl Club in Orchard Towers.
Tan is still being held on remand and will return to court on Oct 22.
If convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, he could be jailed for life, or imprisoned for up to 15 years and caned.
He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder. /TISG
Orchard Towers murder: Man admits discarding alleged killer’s blood-stained T-shirt