Three accused have murder charges withdrawn for fatal Orchard Towers attack
The trio now face a downgraded charge
Three of the seven accused for the Orchard Towers murder on July 2 had their murder charge withdrawn and now face a downgraded charge.
Tan Hong Sheng, 22, Chan Jia Xing, 26, and Loo Boon Chong, 25, will now be charged with consorting with a person carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.
The other four - Tan Sen Yang, 27, Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, 22, and Ang Da Yuan and Joel Tan Yun Sheng, both 26 - still face a murder charge and may face the gallows if convicted.
On July 4, the seven were originally charged with the murder of Mr Satheesh Noel Gobidass, 31, who died after a brawl at Orchard Towers.
CALL FOR ASSISTANCE
Police received a call for assistance at Orchard Towers at 6.25am on July 2, and found a man lying motionless at the scene. Mr Satheesh was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was pronounced dead at 7.25am.
Tan Hong Sheng, Chan and Loo were each offered bail at $15,000.
According to court documents, the trio were allegedly found in the company of Tan Sen Yang, who allegedly had a foldable "kerambit" knife - a small curved weapon said to resemble a claw - with him at the Naughty Girl Club on the second storey of Orchard Towers.
The three men will appear in court again on Aug 1.
Of the other four, Siow, Ang, and Joel Tan will be undergoing psychiatric observations.
Siow will be detained at Changi Women's Prison, while Joel Tan and Ang will be remanded at Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre.
Tan Sen Yang will be remanded in Central Police Division, and will be back in court on July 18.
Further investigations are required as he is believed to be involved in more offences, the court heard.
Siow is represented by lawyers Amarick Gill and Cheryl Ng. Joel Tan, Tan Hong Sheng and Chan are represented by lawyers Josephus Tan, Cory Wong and Shane Yeo from Invictus Law Corporation. Loo's lawyer is Ms Diana Ngiam.
Those convicted of consorting with a person carrying an offensive weapon in a public place can be jailed up to three years and given at least six strokes of the cane.
Offenders convicted of murder will face the death penalty.
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