SINGAPORE: A second youth, who was part of a group accused of rioting at Downtown East in 2010, will go behind bars for five years and be given six strokes of the cane.
Puay De Feng, now 21 years old, pleaded guilty on Friday to two charges.
The first is for unlawful assembly.
Puay admitted to causing grievous hurt to then-19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie on October 30, 2010 between 5.30pm and 6pm.
He did so with other teenagers, by slashing and stabbing the victim with knives, choppers and a screwdriver .
Ng, a member of the "Fong Hong San" gang, later died from multiple injuries.
At the time of his offence, Puay was a member of the "369" secret society.
The
court was told that a member from each of the two gangs had bad blood
and challenged each other to a duel at Downtown East in Pasir Ris.
Puay
also admitted to a separate charge of punching a Korean national, Yoon
Sang Jun, at St James Power Station on June 13, 2010 after 2am.
Court documents showed that Puay had bumped into the victim in the smoking area and a heated exchange erupted into a fight.
For rioting, Puay could have been jailed up to seven years and caned.
The maximum penalty for punching the Korean man is two years' jail, a maximum fine of S$5,000, or both.
In
her submissions, deputy public prosecutor Peggy Pao said Jason Chew Wei
Beng, the first of the group to be prosecuted for rioting, was given
four years' jail and six strokes of the cane.
Given that Puay played a more significant role in the fight than Chew, DPP Pao asked for a tougher punishment.
The court heard that Puay had surrounded the deceased with other gang members and chased him during the assault.
In his defence, Puay's lawyer Sherain Tan said her client is "sorry" for his actions.
She added in mitigation that Puay was young when he committed the offence but that is no excuse.
Having
put his family through this trying time, the defence counsel said Puay
is now "hoping for a chance to join his family" as soon as possible.
But
this cut no ice with District Judge Soh Tze Bian, who ordered Puay to
go behind bars for four years and nine months for rioting.
He also ordered Puay to receive six strokes of the cane.
As for the second charge of causing hurt in a separate case, the judge sentenced Puay to three months' imprisonment.
He ordered the two sentences to be served consecutively.
- CNA/wk