SINGAPORE – A man who has been in and out of jail for offences including being part of an unlawful assembly has been ordered to spend more time behind bars over his involvement in
a fatal brawl in Orchard Road in 2023
.
Abdul Rahman Gani Abdul Azeez, 35, was out on bail over an unrelated assault case when he took part in the brawl around Concorde Hotel on Aug 20 that year.
Former bouncer Mohammad Isrrat Mohd Ismail, 29, who suffered multiple injuries, was unconscious when he was taken to hospital where he died.
On Nov 26, Gani was sentenced to two years, six months and three weeks’ jail, and three strokes of the cane.
Gani, who was part of a rioting group that ganged up against Mr Isrrat, had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of rioting.
Multiple members of the rioting group were
dealt with in court earlier
.
One of them, Asvain Pacan Pillai Sukumaran, 30, was earlier handed a murder charge after he allegedly killed Mr Isrrat by stabbing him multiple times with a knife. His case is pending.
Without revealing details, Deputy Public Prosecutor Brian Tan told the court that Gani was earlier given jail sentences in 2013 and early 2022 for offences including being part of an unlawful assembly.
In October 2022, Gani punched a 22-year-old man’s face and was arrested eight days later. He was released on bail on Nov 2 that year.
While out on bail, he and other members of the rioting group went to Club Rumours in Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall in the wee hours of Aug 20, 2023.
The DPP said that some of them including Asvain were secret society members.
However, Gani has not been involved in any secret society incidents since 2018, the court heard.
Around 4.45am, two of the club’s former bouncers – Mr Isrrat and Muhammad Shahrulnizam Osman – arrived there.
The club’s chief bouncer noticed that men from the rioting group were in the vicinity and alerted his colleagues. Several men including Shahrulnizam and Mr Isrrat armed themselves with knives.
Mr Isrrat and Shahrulnizam yelled vulgarities at the men in the rioting group and a scuffle broke out.
Shahrulnizam used a knife to attack three men, including Gani, who suffered a slash wound to his hand.
Gani was not around when some of them rained blows on Mr Isrrat.
Instead, he approached Shahrulnizam from behind and punched the latter’s head.
Gani and other members of the rioting group then ran after Mr Isrrat.
Mr Isrrat’s knife fell to the ground when one of its members pushed him.
The DPP said that Asvain then picked up the weapon and used it to repeatedly stab Mr Isrrat.
Gani later caught up with the rest of the rioting group and saw Mr Isrrat on the ground.
He then stomped on and kicked the latter on his back.
Mr Isrrat was later taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was pronounced dead at around 7am.
Gani was arrested on Aug 22, 2023.
He was represented by lawyers Rakesh Vasu and Paul, who goes by only one name.
On Nov 26, the lawyers told the court that their client is remorseful, adding: “The deceased was no innocent bystander but an armed attacker…(Gani) didn’t know the deceased was stabbed during the assault.”
In December 2024, Shahrulnizam, then 31, was sentenced to
two years and nine months’ jail, and ordered to receive 12 strokes of the cane.
He had pleaded guilty to offences including two counts of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.