1995 Rowell Road shooting

1995 non-fatal shooting of a moneylender in Singapore 1995 Rowell Road shooting 22 January 1995 Around 1am Jalan Besar, Singapore Guilty Death Unlawful discharge of firearms under the Arms Offences Act Tay Chin Wah (68) * Tay found guilty of illegal discharge of firearms Tay sentenced to death in February 2001 Tay hanged at Changi Prison on 26 October 2001 Lee Yang Ping (20) None On 22 January 1995, 63-year-old taxi driver Tay Chin Wah (郑清华 Zhèng Qīnghuá) fired a revolver in Singapore's Rowell Road at two men, Lee Yang Ping (李罗杰 Lǐ Luójié) and Soh Keng Ho (苏庆和 Sū Qìnghé), who both confronted Tay's girlfriend over a debt she owed to Lee, who was a moneylender. Tay was said to have committed the shooting out of anger over his girlfriend's predicament, and the shooting left Lee injured, but he survived with timely medical intervention. Tay was arrested in Malaysia and brought back for trial five years later, and in February 2001, he was sentenced to death under the Arms Offences Act on charges of illegally discharging his firearm with intent to cause harm. Tay's appeal was dismissed, and he was hanged on 26 October 2001.一枪械伤人一贩毒 两男子在樟宜监狱被处死 27 October 2001 zh 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) Shooting incident On the early morning of 22 January 1995, a shooting incident occurred at the void deck of a HDB block in Rowell Road, Jalan Besar, where four shots were discharged. The shooting left one man injured and another man escaping unscathed. 惹兰勿刹红灯区 黑夜枪声卜卜！ 刺青老汉连开四枪 男子臀部中弹 22 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950122-1.2.5.6 zh According to the witnesses of the shooting, it was alleged that there was a confrontation between a couple and a moneylender, although the court documents verified that it was a confrontation between the couple and two men (one of them was the moneylender's companion).Public Prosecutor v Tay Chin Wah [2000] SGHC 27 https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2000_SGHC_27 9 February 2024 Supreme Court judgements Both sides were said to be arguing over a debt of S$1,000 which the female member of the couple owed to the 20-year-old moneylender, Lee Yang Ping.疑因讨债起纠纷青年遭人开枪打伤 23 January 1995 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhzb19950123-1.2.10.5 zh 情妇欠钱.谈判破裂 为了1000元 开枪射伤人 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.2 zh The dispute grew heated, and it led to the female debtor's boyfriend, who tried to stand up for his girlfriend, to whip out a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver and fired a total of four shots at Lee and his 40-year-old companion Goh Keng Ho, who both fled after seeing the man discharging his revolver at them.Public Prosecutor v Tay Chin Wah [2000] SGHC 27 https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2000_SGHC_27 9 February 2024 Supreme Court judgements替情妇出头 一连开4枪 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.2 zh One of the bullets struck the mobile phone of Lee, while another hit Lee directly on the buttocks. The rest of the bullets missed the two men, and Soh was not harmed during the shooting. Right after the shooting, the gunman and his girlfriend were reportedly witnessed leaving in a taxi and fleeing the scene.Public Prosecutor v Tay Chin Wah [2000] SGHC 27 https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2000_SGHC_27 9 February 2024 Supreme Court judgements "阿伯"开枪后携女友截车逃 23 January 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950123-1.2.9.1.1 zh After he was shot, Lee continued to run to a nearby coffee shop, and managed to catch a taxi to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.阿窿左臀中枪 忍痛逃向咖啡店 19 February 2001 zh 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao)一枪中臀部 一枪中电话 臀部血淋淋 忍痛召德士 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.6 zh 负伤走到路旁·截车赶去医院 伤者在德士内自行挖出子弹 23 January 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950123-1.2.9.1.2 zh On the way to the hospital, Lee tried and successfully extracted the bullet by himself inside the taxi, reportedly copying the same way of how a fictional movie character and hero named Rambo treated his gunshot injuries. In response to Lee's actions, the doctor told the press that it was too risky for a gunshot victim to extract the bullet by oneself, as it might worsen the injury and caused a greater loss of blood, which may potentially lead to death.伤者鲁莽行动.医生怎么说： 自行取出子弹 可能流血不止 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.7 zh 自行挖出子弹会流血不止死 23 January 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950123-1.2.9.1.3.1 zh Regardless, Lee was able to reach the hospital, underwent treatment, and eventually recovered from his gunshot wound. He was subsequently discharged from hospital a few days later and rejoined his family to celebrate Chinese New Year. 臀部中弹！ 商人已出院 回家过新年 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.4 zh 商人学雷波 自拔血弹头 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.3 zh Investigations Meanwhile, the police conducted their investigations in the case, and classified the shooting case as one of unlawful discharge of firearms under the Arms Offences Act, which prescribes the death penalty for use of firearms in Singapore. After conducting a search around the area, the police were able to recover the three spent cartridges at the void deck, and aside from this, they sought to identify the suspected gunman, who was described to be an elderly man aged in his 60s.漏夜搜查 找到3颗 子弹壳！ 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.5 zh Although the police managed to identify the possible gunman and conducted a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrator, the suspect had already left Singapore. In fact, the police uncovered a shocking fact about the suspect, who was actually one of the fugitives on Singapore's wanted list for an unknown offence, and he had quietly changed his name and led a low profile life until his alleged involvement in the shooting.情妇被追债 ‘老鸦’怒开枪 一枪击中贷款商.警全岛追捕 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.1 zh 黑道人物 重现江湖 替情妇出头 ‘老鸦’开4枪 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.3 zh In February 1995, the Royal Malaysia Police successfully secured the whereabouts of the gunman, who was actually hiding in the Malaysian state of Johor. The suspected shooter and his girlfriend were both arrested inside the girlfriend's house at Segamat District, a town in Johor,狮城干案逃回娘家 2 February 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950202-1.2.11.7.4 zh 带枪逃 昔加末 躲在情妇家中 红灯区开枪 ‘老鸦’捉到了 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.2 zh 藏情妇家.警破门捉 ‘老鸦’逃大马 睡梦中被捕 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.1 zh and both the revolver and 20 live rounds of ammunition were recovered by the Malaysian police.在惹兰勿刹开枪伤人 阿佬与情妇逃柔州被捕 2 February 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950202-1.2.3.1 zh 手枪和20子弹 暗藏旅行袋 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.6 zh The gunman, a 63-year-old Singaporean taxi driver named Tay Chin Wah, was charged in a Malaysian court for illegal possession of weapons. He reportedly confessed to the Malaysian investigators about the shooting incident and how he procured the gun. The Singapore Police Force, who were notified of Tay's arrest and confession, found out that Tay illegally purchased the gun in Singapore for S$2,000, and they promised to investigate the case further and facilitate Tay's extradition in the mean time,‘老的’在柔州警察总部供称： 2000元买下手枪 2 February 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950202-1.2.11.7.1 zh 涉及开枪射伤放债人男子及情妇昔加末落网 2 February 1995 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhzb19950203-1.2.11.18 zh 用2千元 狮城买枪 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.5 zh and they confirmed that Tay was the gunman they sought after.警方证实 被捕嫌犯 就是老鸦 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.3 zh However, Tay was not immediately extradited back to Singapore upon his arrest in Malaysia. Instead, he was incarcerated at a Malaysian prison for a criminal offence, before he was released within the next five years, and handed over to the Singaporean authorities to face indictment over the shooting incident.男子五年前枪伤大耳窿马国坐牢后回国面对死罪受审 20 February 2001 zh 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) At the time of his arrest, Tay was a taxi driver who had gangland affiliations and also dabbled in illegal opium trafficking. He also frequented the area of Jalan Besar, where he often gamble at illegal gambling dens,‘老的’好赌‘牌九’ 2 February 1995 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19950202-1.2.11.7.3 zh and he also operated an illegal opium den for addicts to go and smoke opium.偷开鸦片馆 雇美女点烟 2 February 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950202-1.2.9.1.7 zh 常带情妇 出入艳窟 23 January 1995 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/shinmin19950123-1.2.5.8 zh Tay was married for about 50 years and has eight children, although none of them were present in court during Tay's trial proceedings.结婚50年·育8子女 开审两天来 家人没到场 20 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) Trial of Tay Chin Wah On 18 February 2001, after his return to Singapore, Tay Chin Wah, then 68 years old, officially stood trial at the High Court for one count of illegally discharging a firearm under the Arms Offences Act, which mandated the death sentence for this particular offence if found guilty. Tay was represented by both Chua Eng Hui and Ong Cheong Wei, while the prosecution was led by Raymond Fong and Chew Siong Tai. Justice Kan Ting Chiu was appointed as the trial judge of Tay's case. The trial court was told that Tay's girlfriend, whose name was Lee Ah Kai (aged 48 in 1995), alias Susan Lee, had borrowed S$1,000 from the first victim Lee Yang Ping, and Soh Keng Ho, the other victim, served as her guarantor. After she took the loan, Susan defaulted on her repayment and on the date of the shooting, when both Susan and Tay were at a void deck in Rowell Road, she was confronted by both Lee and Soh, who demanded Susan to repay the loan, and Susan was unable to pay up. A quarrel broke out between them, and Tay became involved in the argument as well. Based on the prosecution's case and Tay's own admission, Tay took out the revolver and fired at both Lee and Soh, who ran away at the sight of the gun, and it caused Lee to be injured. Both Soh and Lee came to court to testify against Tay, and Dr Teo Teng Poh, a Principal Scientific Officer of the Department of Scientific Services, also testified that the bullets directed at the two men indeed came from Tay's revolver.涉嫌为欠债女友出头 开4枪 伤阿窿"老鸦"被控 19 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao)绰号‘老鸦’•为女友出头 老汉开4枪 打伤阿窿臀部 19 February 2001 zh 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) Tay elected to give his evidence on the stand, and while Tay pleaded guilty at first, which was not allowed in Singapore for criminal charges that carried the death penalty, he told the court that he bought the gun in 1983, 12 years before the shooting, and it was sold to him by a Thai opium trafficker for a price of S$2,000, which also included the ammunition.拥枪12年！ 老鸦花2000元 买手枪和子弹 20 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) Man bought gun from opium dealer 21 February 2001 The Straits Times 被告口供书透露： 花2000元向泰男 买手枪子弹 20 February 2001 zh 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) Tay said that on the day of the shooting, he brought the revolver along for self-defense while accompanying his girlfriend to meet both Lee and Soh,被告辩称 上赌馆追债 带枪去自卫 20 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) in an effort to meditate and discuss on her debt. However, the meeting escalated into a heated dispute, and one of the men allegedly choked Tay's girlfriend on the neck, and it caused Tay to brandish his sidearm and fired once at the ceiling of the void deck, in order to frighten the duo.被告：女友脖子被掐才开枪吓一吓伤者 21 February 2001 zh 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) This caused Lee and Soh to flee the scene, and still simmering with rage over his girlfriend's predicament, Tay fired three more shots at both Lee and Soh, and although the two men were not killed, Lee was injured on the buttocks.阿窿臀中枪·自已挖出弹头 19 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao)大耳窿求医前 自行挖出子弹 19 February 2001 zh 新明日报 (Xin Ming Ri Bao) After the shooting, Tay and his girlfriend went to board a taxi and left for Malaysia, where he was eventually arrested for the case.He shot loanshark in buttock 20 February 2001 The Straits Times 带女友逃离 被马警逮捕 19 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) On 21 February 2001, after a trial lasting three days, Justice Kan Ting Chiu delivered his verdict. He found that Tay had not rebutted the legal presumption that he intended to cause harm when he opened fire at both Soh and Lee. He stated that when Tay pointed the gun at both men and fired at them out of anger, there was no doubt that Tay had intentionally discharged the firearm at the both of them, and it could be further interpreted as him having the intent to cause injury or death by doing so, rather than him firing the gun with nothing on his mind. On these grounds, Justice Kan ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.Elderly cabby to hang for firing at duo 22 February 2001 The Straits Times Public Prosecutor v Tay Chin Wah [2000] SGHC 27 https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2000_SGHC_27 9 February 2024 Supreme Court judgements为女友出头 向阿窿开枪 ‘老鸦’判死刑 22 February 2001 zh 联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) Therefore, 68-year-old Tay Chin Wah was found guilty of unlawfully discharging his firearm under Section 4(1) of the Arms Offences Act (Chapter 14), and sentenced to death by hanging.Elderly man to hang 22 February 2001 Streats 为女友出头 老汉枪伤大耳窿被判死刑 22 February 2001 zh 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) Appeal On 2 May 2001, Tay Chin Wah lost his appeal against both his conviction and mandatory death sentence. The Court of Appeal's three judges - Chief Justice Yong Pung How, and two Judges of Appeal L P Thean (Thean Lip Ping) and Chao Hick Tin - stated that Tay had not rebutted the legal presumption that he intended to cause harm when he fired the four shots, or at least the three subsequent shots he directed towards the two victims Lee Yang Ping and Soh Keng Ho, and the evidence was sufficient to prove the firearm charge against Tay beyond a reasonable doubt. Noting that the defence did not make any submissions on appeal, the appellate court decided that there was nothing to exculpate Tay and hence upheld his conviction and sentence.https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2001_SGCA_33 Tay Chin Wah v Public Prosecutor [2001] SGCA 33 9 February 2024 Supreme Court judgements Execution On 26 October 2001, 68-year-old Tay Chin Wah was hanged in Changi Prison at dawn. On the same date when Tay was executed, 26-year-old Jimmy Goh Chye Soon was put to death at the same prison for one count of trafficking 81.73 grams of diamorphine. Goh, who was arrested in May 2000 for the crime, received the death penalty in December 2000, and like Tay, he also lost his appeal prior to his execution.Gunman and drug trafficker hanged 27 October 2001 The Straits Times See also Arms Offences Act Capital punishment in Singapore List of major crimes in Singapore References Category:1995 in Singapore Category:1995 crimes in Singapore Category:Non-fatal shootings Category:Capital punishment in Singapore Category:21st-century executions by Singapore Category:January 1995 crimes Category:January 1995 in Asia