Fatal row: Rioter gets 30 months and six strokes
He's first to be convicted among 12 involved in orgy of violence that led to American stuntman's death
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American stuntman John Denley Nelson, who tried to mediate in a dispute, died of his injury on Jan 1.
Elena Chong
A group of 12 people, some with secret society links, were involved in an orgy of violence that eventually led to the death of an American stuntman.
The first of the 12 was convicted yesterday, almost a year after three separate violent incidents on Dec 24, 2015. Muhammad Izzuandy Yusof, who was involved in the first attack, was sentenced to 30 months' jail and six strokes of the cane for rioting.
The 24-year-old unemployed man, who has secret society links, admitted to being part of an unlawful assembly with 11 others outside Mogambo Bar in Canton Street and along Circular Road.
The first attack happened at about 2.40am after Muhammad Haziq Hashim, 24, was involved in a dispute with his girlfriend Norazilah Zainol, 23, outside Beer Inn in Circular Road.
It attracted the attention of onlookers, including Mr Akash Kukreja, Ms Charlotte Roscoe, Mr Desmond Pheh Hou Chin and Mr Teo Zhihan. One of the men in Muhammad Haziq's party accused Mr Pheh, 22, and Mr Teo, 29, of looking at them.
Mr Pheh indicated he did not want any trouble but the same man punched him and also attacked Mr Teo. Izzuandy and several others joined in by punching and kicking both victims.
When Mr Kukreja, 31, checked if Norazilah was hurt, the group turned on him and one of them punched him. Mr Kukreja retaliated but lost his balance and fell. Ms Roscoe, 26, tried to help him by pulling the assailant away but she was punched in the face. Norazilah and a woman in the group then punched and kicked Ms Roscoe.
After it ended, some of the attackers left for a disco in Pan Pacific Hotel while the rest stayed behind at Beer Inn.
Those who remained at the bar were involved in a second incident after Mr Kukreja returned with two unknown men at 3am intending to confront his attackers. But he and the two men were punched and kicked by the remaining attackers and three public relations officers working at the bar.
The attackers were not done even after two violent episodes. They then got into a dispute with a Caucasian woman. American stuntman John Denley Nelson, 30, tried to mediate. One of the attackers punched Mr Nelson in the head and he fell to the ground. He later died of his injury on Jan 1.
Izzuandy was originally accused of being involved in Mr Nelson's murder but the court heard that he was in a taxi at the time Mr Nelson was attacked.
Izzuandy was yesterday also given two weeks' jail for a separate offence of theft of $400 from a taxi driver's money box. He had committed the theft with Muhammad Haziq on Nov 23 last year.
