Soosay, who argued that he acted in self-defence and killed Lim during a sudden fight, was sentenced to death by the trial court for murder in November 1992.
[1][2][3] The victim, who was pronounced dead at Singapore General Hospital, was identified as 30-year-old Lim Yeow Chuan, a Malaysian born in Pontian.
[7] The same two Indian men were also last seen rushing to board a taxi to leave the area prior to the discovery of Lim's lifeless body.
Therefore, a second preliminary charge of murder was tendered against Soosay for the death of the 20-year-old victim, who was identified as a Malaysian machine operator named Sivapragasam Subramaniam.
In sentencing Kuppiah to five years' imprisonment and twelve strokes of the cane, the trial judge, Judicial Commissioner Amarjeet Singh, accepted that Kuppiah had backed out of the fight halfway upon seeing the victim getting stabbed, and was unaware that Soosay was allegedly in possession of a knife when confronting Lim and getting into a fight with Lim.
According to Soosay, on 25 October 1990, while Soosay himself, together with Kuppiah and a third friend named Leo Chin Hwang (廖振煌 Liào Zhènhuáng; alias Ah Koo), were drinking beer at Johore Road, they were approached by a group of transvestites and transgender prostitutes who offered them sexual services, and Leo agreed to go with one of them, who was identified to be Lim.
[21] The next day, an upset Leo met up with both Kuppiah and Soosay, stating that he lost his gold chain and his money, and said that Lim had possibly drugged him while they were drinking beer and may have stolen the money and gold chain while Leo was unconscious in the bed at one of the hotel rooms in the area.
This account was corroborated by Kuppiah, who came to court as a trial witness in midst of serving his five-year sentence at Changi Prison.
According to news reports, Soosay was seen on the verge of crying as he heard the judge pronouncing the death sentence on him, and Soosay's mother, who travelled from Malaysia to Singapore with her family members to hear the verdict, was devastated to hear that her son was sentenced to hang, and she was hysterical to the point that friends and relatives had to support her and escort her out of the courtroom.
In their verdict, Justice Karthigesu stated that while they agreed with the trial judge that Soosay had indeed exceeded his right to self-defense on the account that he evidently inflicted more harm than necessary when stabbing the 30-year-old victim Lim Yeow Chuan multiple times, they found that the trial judge had not adequately taken Soosay's defence of a sudden fight into due consideration before reaching the verdict.
[29][31] For these above reasons, the Court of Appeal set aside Soosay's death sentence and overturned his murder conviction, and instead, they found 26-year-old Soosay Sinnappen guilty of a lower charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (or manslaughter), and sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code.
[34][35] 27-year-old Sagar was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death on 31 May 1994,[36][37] and he was hanged on 7 July 1995 after losing his appeal and clemency plea.
[38] Subsequently, the remaining twelve members of Soosay's gang were jailed between 31 months to seven years for reduced charges of rioting and causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons.
Additionally, the real-life police mugshots of both the offenders Kuppiah and Soosay were not shown in the episode to protect their identities, since both men were released from prison at this point.