Geylang stabbing: Man's murder charge reduced

He was originally charged with murder for handing a knife to a man who used it to fatally stab another man in a Geylang coffee shop.

Instead, Kung Kwai Cheong, 54, was yesterday sentenced in court to four years’ jail for abetment in voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Mr Gunasekaran Rengasamy.

Court documents revealed that on Feb 13, 2012, Mr Gunasekaran, 43, who was unemployed then, and a friend had left a hotel in Lorong 22 Geylang at about 2am.

From there, they met Kung and two other men — Redzuan Pupon, 39, and Terrence Goh Chye Huat, 45. The five of them went to a coffee shop at Geylang Road.

As they were talking, a 51-year-old man arrived and accused Mr Gunasekaran of being a “big-headed person” while they were both serving time in prison.

Things got heated and a fight broke out.

During the brawl, Goh, Redzuan and the man punched and kicked Mr Gunasekaran.

Fearing for his safety, Mr Gunasekaran’s friend fled.

At this point, the ex-jailbird gestured to Kung. Kung understood this to mean that he wanted him to give him a knife.

He pulled out a foldable knife from his bag and gave it to the man, who stabbed Mr Gunasekaran’s chest.

The man, Kung, Goh and Redzuan fled.

The injured Mr Gunasekaran was later found by police officers on patrol.

He was pronounced dead in hospital about two hours later. The stab wound was 13cm deep.

Kung was arrested the same day at about 10pm at Lorong 25 Geylang.

Yesterday, his sentence was backdated to Feb 15, 2012, when he was first in remand.

A man, who identified himself as Kung’s brother, was in court yesterday. He told The New Paper: “I’m satisfied with the sentence.”

In October last year, Redzuan and Goh were sentenced to 15 and 17 months’ jail respectively.

Goh, was convicted of slapping, punching and kicking Mr Gunasekaran and having another person’s identity card.

Redzuan was convicted of similarly causing hurt. The two men have since been freed as the court ruled that the time on remand would serve as the punishment for the lesser crime.

The man who stabbed Mr Gunasekaran still faces the capital charge.

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