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Tan Sen Yang, convicted of murdering a man at Orchard Towers in 2019, has failed in his appeal to reduce the charge. The 33-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane for fatally stabbing Satheesh Noel Gobidass in the neck during a violent confrontation. On Thursday (15 May), the Court of Appeal rejected claims that Tan lacked intent to kill.

Tan’s lawyer argued he had aimed punches, not fatal blows, with a karambit knife during the altercation. But the court found the injury consistent with serious intent, noting that blows were delivered to the victim’s head and neck in a “dynamic situation.” The blade was curved and facing outwards when Tan struck.

The judges dismissed arguments about diminished responsibility due to alcohol and mental health conditions, as well as the defence’s attempt to reframe the act as culpable homicide. Justice Tay Yong Kwang emphasised that common sense applied – where the face ends and the neck begins is irrelevant in such an aggressive act.

The 2019 incident erupted after a dispute between two groups at a nightclub. CCTV showed Tan brandishing the knife during the scuffle, with the victim confronting Tan’s friend after tensions escalated. Satheesh was then attacked by multiple individuals, including Tan, who later surrendered to police.

Of the seven originally charged with murder, Tan alone was convicted of the offence. Others received lighter penalties: Ang Da Yuan got 8 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane; Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, five months’ jail; Joel Tan Yun Sheng, four weeks; Loo Boon Chong, five months for helping dispose of evidence; Tan Hong Sheng, nearly five years plus 12 strokes; and Chan Jia Xing received a conditional warning.

Read on the Orchard Towers killer losing his final bid for freedom here.