Jail, caning for duo involved in fatal attack

They assaulted French national in dispute over hat; judge calls beating 'senseless', 'persistent'

Muhammad Daniel Abdul Jalil (top) and Radin Abdullah Syaafii Radin Badruddin (above) attacked Mr Navarro Dorian Regis outside Orchard Towers on April 1 last year.
Muhammad Daniel Abdul Jalil and Radin Abdullah Syaafii Radin Badruddin attacked Mr Navarro Dorian Regis outside Orchard Towers (above) on April 1 last year. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Muhammad Daniel Abdul Jalil (left) and Radin Abdullah Syaafii Radin Badruddin (right) attacked Mr Navarro Dorian Regis outside Orchard Towers on April 1 last year. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Two Singaporeans were intoxicated when they fatally attacked a French national outside Orchard Towers last year.

Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Quek Jing Feng said there was a rising trend of cases involving alcohol-related violence and urged the court to hand out stiff sentences to Radin Abdullah Syaafii Radin Badruddin and Muhammad Daniel Abdul Jalil.

District Judge Kenneth Yap agreed there was a need for deterrent sentences.

He sentenced Radin, who is self-employed, to five years' jail and six strokes of the cane for assaulting Mr Navarro Dorian Regis, 34, on April 1 last year.

Daniel, who is a quality check inspector, was jailed for five years and three months, with six strokes of the cane, as he had also assaulted Mr Regis' friend, Mr Pierre-Eric Jules Jean Goudal, 29.

The two 24-year-old men had earlier been accused of murdering Mr Regis, but they pleaded guilty on Oct 4 to a reduced charge of causing grievous hurt to him.

On the day of the incident, Daniel and Radin had gone clubbing at Orchard Towers with Mr Huzaifah Abdul Aziz, 23, Mr Muhammad Farhan Othman, 23, and Mr Muhammad Fadli Kamis, 24.

At around 5.30am, a dispute broke out between Daniel and Mr Huzaifah. Daniel's hat was swiped off in the scuffle and landed near Mr Regis' feet. The Frenchman picked it up and threw it back towards Daniel's group.

Radin, who felt Mr Regis was mocking them, confronted the Frenchman and his friends.

Daniel then assaulted Mr Regis, who was standing outside Orchard Towers. Radin joined in and the pair assaulted their victim until he fell to the ground.

Mr Goudal tried to help his friend, but ended up with a fractured nasal bone when Daniel punched his face.

The five Singaporeans then left the scene.

Mr Regis was taken to Singapore General Hospital and died on May 16 last year of a traumatic head injury, with pneumonia as a contributory cause.

In court yesterday,DPP Quek cited a 2015 parliamentary debate where then Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran said that in 2014, there were 115 cases of serious hurt related to liquor consumption.

Quoting the minister, DPP Quek said: "The trend has been on the rise... with nine out of 10 occurring after 10.30pm."

Judge Yap told the Frenchman's attackers that they could have been charged with culpable homicide and that the assault was "senseless" and "persistent".

He added: "You have deprived a man of his life. Your response was totally out of proportion."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 20, 2017, with the headline Jail, caning for duo involved in fatal attack. Subscribe