GUNMAN Tan Chor Jin, better known as 'One-eyed Dragon', has failed in his final court bid to escape the hangman's noose.

Tan had been sent to the gallows last year after the High Court convicted him of firing six rounds from a pistol that killed nightclub boss Lim Hock Soon at the latter's Serangoon North flat in February 2006.

Tan defended himself during the trial but got prominent lawyer Subhas Anandan to conduct his appeal against his death sentence on Wednesday.

Mr Anandan argued on Wednesday that Tan had been deprived of a fair trial because of the 'oppressive' conditions at the Complex Medical Centre of Changi Prison, where the gunman was kept in custody. He also argued that Tan had asked for a lawyer at the end of his trial but was denied.

The three judges sitting on the Court of Appeal noted that Tan had discharged his lawyer and chose to conduct his own defence. The trial judge has also asked him many times if he wanted a lawyer but Tan said no.

Detailed grounds on the Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss Tan's appeal will be delivered at a later date.