Updated: 09/27/2013 17:15 | By Channel NewsAsia
Six plead guilty to culpable homicide in 2011 Tiong Bahru Park death
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SINGAPORE: Six men pleaded guilty in the High Court on Friday to causing the death of a man in Tiong Bahru Park in 2011.
The six -- aged between 20 and 25 -- had initially been charged with murder, but it was eventually downgraded to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The court heard that Anandraj Manimaran, Segu Jamaldeen Nafil Mohamed, Muhizin Khan, S Karthikesu, Abdul Samad Mohamed Kasim, and Suriya Thankamany had been involved in a confrontation with the victim, 52-year-old Goh Ho Leong.
They were part of a group of friends who had gathered at the park on the night of March 8, 2011.
They were chatting and having alcoholic drinks when they were confronted by a group of men.
Shortly after, Segu and two others went to the public toilet with three members from the other group to resolve the dispute.
There, Segu pushed open the door of one of the toilet cubicles to check if anyone was inside.
The victim, Mr Goh was inside the cubicle, got angry with Segu and scolded him.
The pair then got into an argument and as Mr Goh left the toilet, he told Segu to wait.
Mr Goh returned a short while later with another man and an object resembling a bicycle chain.
According to a witness, Mr Goh said the words "one-to-one" to Segu's group of friends.
At this point, all six men got involved in the confrontation and began assaulting Mr Goh.
They punched and kicked him, even after he fell to the ground.
Two of the men -- Muhzin and Suriya -- even used glass bottles to hit Mr Goh on his face and head.
Mr Goh suffered extensive injuries and died at the Singapore General Hospital two days later.
In mitigation, lawyers for the men said the assault was not pre-meditated and was sparked by a moment of "unthinking behaviour".
Defence counsel Josephus Tan, who is acting for Suriya, said: "It was spontaneous...they didn't come for a settlement talk with a weapon."
Mr S K Kumar, who is acting for Karthikesu, added that it was in fact Mr Goh who initiated the confrontation and had come armed with a bicycle chain.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Faizal countered that the men continued to attack Mr Goh even though he was already helpless on the ground.
He pointed to Mr Goh's list of injuries saying "all of it illustrates the vicious nature of the attack".
The men will be back in Court on October 14 for sentencing. - CNA/gn
