No point hiding it now: Witness who covered up for boyfriend's worker

She testified in court on Thursday that she saw the accused, Melvin Chan Guo Bao, using a wooden pole to hit a man who later died.

But in 2011, sales executive Yu Ying Ying, now 25, told the police in two separate statements that Chan had not been carrying anything in his hands during the brawl that broke out after a urinating dispute.

Chan's lawyer, Mr Low Cheong Yeow, pointed out these discrepancies on the fourth day of his client's trial yesterday.

Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau Peng later allowed Mr Low's application to impeach Madam Yu's credibility.

Chan, 33, is accused of one count each of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.

He allegedly used a wooden pole to repeatedly hit chauffeur Yong Sian Moo, then 51, on the head at a back alley between Lorong 11 and Lorong 13 Geylang at around 11.30pm on Aug 5, 2011.

ASSAULT

Chan, who had been selling cough syrup and sleeping pills in the alley, is also accused of using a wooden pole to assault Mr Yong's younger brother, hairstylist Calvin Yong Sian Teck, now 51, that night.

The Yongs, who were injured in the fight, were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where the older brother was pronounced dead at around 1.30am the next day.

Yesterday, the court heard that Madam Yu had told the police two days after the brawl: "I did not notice whether (Chan) was carrying anything in (his hand)."

In another statement on Aug 26 that year, she said: "I did not see (Chan) using anything to hit (Mr Yong Sian Moo) but beside (Chan), there were broken pieces of wood."

When Mr Low cross-examined Madam Yu yesterday, she admitted she had tried to cover up for Chan as he was her then-boyfriend's friend and employee.

At the time, she was seeing Mr Peter Poh Hong Leong, whom she married in 2013.

Madam Yu said: "Together as friends, (we) definitely help each other...(Chan) was working for Peter and helped him earn money."

Mr Low then asked her why she had decided to tell the court on Thursday that Chan had hit Mr Yong Sian Moo with the wooden pole.

She replied:"After so long, there was no point in hiding it for (him)."

The trial will resume on Tuesday.

If found guilty of culpable homicide, Chan can be jailed for life or up to 20 years, fined and/ or caned.

For voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, he can be jailed up to seven years, fined and/ or caned.

This article was first published on Nov 28, 2015.
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