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Downtown East rioter jailed 6 weeks
By Khushwant Singh
A 21-YEAR-OLD was jailed six weeks on Wednesday for being a member of an unlawful assembly that attacked a 20-year-old man in Downtown East in June.
When Aminurrashid Johana, 22, pleaded guilty on Nov 11, the judge called on the prosecution for statistics to show whether such crimes are on the rise. District Judge Ronald Gwee made this request in light of several gang violence incidents in October and last month, including the murder of student Darren Ng, 19, on Oct 30, also in Downtown East.
But figures provided by Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran on Wednesday indicated that the number of youths, aged seven to 19 and arrested and charged for rioting, was on a decline these past few years. The prosecutor also said: 'Despite the several offences that have come under the media spotlight, this particular case should not be tarred by the same brush.'
Defence counsel Anand Nalachandran had argued of a jail term of not more than four weeks as Aminurrashid was not a secret society member and the least culpable among those involved in the attack.
According to court documents, an argument broke out after Aminurrashid and Mohd Iqbal Azman, 22, barged into victim Dennis Lim Swan Seng at about 12.40am on June 20. Aminurrashid and Iqbal went off to find their friends and one of them, Hassan Mansoor Mohamad, 19, suggested attacking the other group. The trio, plus Mohd Fadli Yusoff, 23, and Rahu Syad Mohamad Yusoff, 22, then went looking for Mr Lim. Along the way, Hassan picked up a yellow plastic 'Wet Floor' sign, which he used to hit Mr Lim in the face, who was treated for cuts to his face and hands.
Aminurrashid, who had also pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine last month, was jailed a year for the drug offence. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
By Khushwant Singh
A 21-YEAR-OLD was jailed six weeks on Wednesday for being a member of an unlawful assembly that attacked a 20-year-old man in Downtown East in June.
When Aminurrashid Johana, 22, pleaded guilty on Nov 11, the judge called on the prosecution for statistics to show whether such crimes are on the rise. District Judge Ronald Gwee made this request in light of several gang violence incidents in October and last month, including the murder of student Darren Ng, 19, on Oct 30, also in Downtown East.
But figures provided by Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran on Wednesday indicated that the number of youths, aged seven to 19 and arrested and charged for rioting, was on a decline these past few years. The prosecutor also said: 'Despite the several offences that have come under the media spotlight, this particular case should not be tarred by the same brush.'
Defence counsel Anand Nalachandran had argued of a jail term of not more than four weeks as Aminurrashid was not a secret society member and the least culpable among those involved in the attack.
According to court documents, an argument broke out after Aminurrashid and Mohd Iqbal Azman, 22, barged into victim Dennis Lim Swan Seng at about 12.40am on June 20. Aminurrashid and Iqbal went off to find their friends and one of them, Hassan Mansoor Mohamad, 19, suggested attacking the other group. The trio, plus Mohd Fadli Yusoff, 23, and Rahu Syad Mohamad Yusoff, 22, then went looking for Mr Lim. Along the way, Hassan picked up a yellow plastic 'Wet Floor' sign, which he used to hit Mr Lim in the face, who was treated for cuts to his face and hands.
Aminurrashid, who had also pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine last month, was jailed a year for the drug offence. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
