Tan Hong Sheng assaulted a 35-year-old man in 2023, after he was released from prison in 2022 and placed under a remission order. - Photo: Shin Min Daily News
SINGAPORE: A repeat offender will be spending more time behind bars after he assaulted a man while under a remission order.
Tan Hong Sheng, 28, made the headlines in 2019 when he was initially charged with murdering Satheesh Noel Gobidass, 31, at Orchard Towers that year.
He later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of being in the company of someone who had a weapon in his possession.
He also admitted to two unrelated rioting charges, and was sentenced to four years and nine months’ jail with 12 strokes of the cane in March 2021.
He was released from prison in 2022 and placed under a remission order, during which he was supposed to keep himself out of trouble from Nov 26 that year to June 26, 2024.
Despite this, he assaulted a 35-year-old man in November 2023.
For his latest offence, Tan was sentenced to five months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to an assault charge on April 1.
He was also ordered to spend an additional 64 days behind bars after breaching the remission order.
For the current case, the court heard that Tan was at a KTV outlet in Jurong when he used a urinal at its restroom at around 10pm on Nov 27, 2023.
The victim also entered the restroom and stood at another urinal nearby.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheronne Lim told the court: “The accused took offence at the victim looking at him repeatedly.”
Tan was holding a lit cigarette, and “the victim was looking at the accused’s hand, as he was concerned that he would be burned by the lit cigarette”, the court heard.
Tan confronted the victim and stood at the entrance of the restroom.
DPP Lim added: “The accused then slapped the victim’s face. The victim retaliated by pushing the accused. The victim and accused then exchanged punches to each other’s head and face area.
“The accused punched the victim’s face multiple times with the intention to cause hurt. The victim’s blows caused the accused’s forehead to bleed.”
Tan then went into a random room at the KTV to retrieve an empty beer bottle.
He returned to the restroom and flung the bottle at the floor, causing it to shatter.
The police were alerted, and Tan was arrested on Nov 30, 2023.
Meanwhile, the victim went to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he was found to have multiple injuries including facial fractures.
He was hospitalised until Nov 30, 2023, and given 29 days of hospitalisation leave. He has been given a stern warning over his involvement in the case.
Defence lawyer Anil Singh Sandhu told the court that Tan is remorseful and is “making sincere efforts to turn over a new leaf”.
The lawyer from Kertar & Sandhu law firm also said his client has made compensation of $3,100 to the victim.
Tan’s bail was set at $15,000 on April 1 and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on April 15.
Separately, another man, Tan Sen Yang, then 32, was sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane in 2024 for murdering Satheesh at about 6.30am on July 2, 2019. - The Straits Times/ANN
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