Fatal Orchard Towers fight: Man who stabbed victim’s neck fails in appeal against murder conviction
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 16 May 2025
Author: Selina Lum
No room for doubt he had intended to inflict serious injury in victim's head region, it says.
A 33-year-old man who fatally stabbed another man during a fight at Orchard Towers in 2019 has failed in his appeal against his murder conviction.
Tan Sen Yang was sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane in April 2024.
On May 15, arguing before the Court of Appeal, Tan’s lawyer Chooi Jing Yen said his client did not intend to inflict the fatal injury.
Tan was holding a karambit knife with the cutting edge facing outwards when he threw three punches at the victim, 31-year-old Satheesh Noel Gobidass, who died from a stab wound to the neck.
Mr Chooi argued that Tan was aiming for the victim’s face because he did not intend to cause any serious injuries.
He contended that Tan should be cleared of murder, and instead be convicted of either causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon or causing death by a rash act.
Alternatively, Mr Chooi argued, Tan could be convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
He argued that the killing took place in the context of a sudden fight, and that Tan was suffering from adjustment disorder and alcohol-use disorder, which diminished his responsibility for his actions.
The short knife that Tan used, which had a curved blade and a finger ring on the end of the handle, was never recovered, as he had thrown it away before he gave himself up to the police.
The court, comprising Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Justice Belinda Ang and Justice Woo Bih Li, dismissed the appeal without requiring the prosecution to respond.
Justice Tay said the situation in the present case must be looked at with “common sense”.
“There is no need to consider with surgical precision exactly which part of the anatomy was intended to be attacked,” he said.
The judge noted that the face and the neck are not distinct in the circumstances of this case.
Tan’s punches were targeted in the region of the victim’s head in a dynamic situation, as he wielded the knife with the edge of the blade facing outwards.
This left no room for doubt that Tan had intended to inflict serious injury in the victim’s head region, said the judge.
The court also dismissed the sudden fight and diminished responsibility arguments.
In the early hours of July 2, 2019, Tan and his friends had gone to the Naughty Girl Club at Orchard Towers.
At about 6.20am, as his group was leaving, they got into a dispute with another group of patrons.
Security officers intervened as the two groups shouted secret society slogans.
Tan was holding the karambit knife during the scuffle.
One of the security officers suffered a cut on his finger, while a member of the rival group had his face slashed.
After security officers separated the two groups, Tan and his friends took a lift to the ground floor.
Meanwhile, Mr Satheesh, who was an acquaintance of the injured member of the rival group, took the escalator down alone.
He confronted one of Tan’s friends, Mr Ang Da Yuan, as the group exited Orchard Towers.
Tan went to Mr Ang’s assistance and punched Mr Satheesh while holding his karambit knife.
Mr Ang and two others punched and kicked the victim before the group fled the scene.
The incident was captured from different angles by various CCTV cameras.
Tan later learnt that the victim had died, and he surrendered himself to the police as he was advised to do so.
Tan and six others were initially charged with murder. The charges against the others were later reduced to less serious offences for the respective roles they had played.
Mr Ang was sentenced to eight months’ jail and six strokes of the cane for assault and being in the company of Tan.
Ms Natalie Siow Yu Zhen was sentenced to five months’ jail for assault and being in the company of someone in possession of a weapon.
Mr Joel Tan Yun Sheng was jailed for four weeks for assault.
Mr Loo Boon Chong was given five months’ jail for disposing of Tan’s T-shirt.
Mr Chan Jia Xing was given a conditional warning – which does not amount to a conviction – for being in the company of Tan.
Tan Hong Sheng was sentenced to four years and nine months’ jail with 12 strokes of the cane for being in the company of Tan Sen Yang, and on two unrelated rioting charges.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
162