Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, 23, the sole woman involved in the Orchard Towers murder case, is claiming trial to one of her three charges, according to Yahoo Singapore, which first reported on the latest development.

Siow told the court on Thursday, Nov. 28 that she is claiming trial to the charge of consorting with a co-accused who had in his possession a Kerambit knife.

The co-accused is Tan Sen Yang, 28.

The defence lawyer Amarick Gill said Siow has not decided if she would plead guilty or claim trial to her remaining two charges.

She is also accused of behaving in a disorderly manner in public and voluntarily causing hurt to Satheesh Noel Gobidass.

A pre-trial conference for her case has been fixed on Jan. 6, 2020.

About the incident

The incident allegedly took place at the Naughty Girl Club at Orchard Towers on July 2, 2019, at about 5.46am.

Siow is accused of kicking and punching Satheesh together with three other co-accused, Tan Sen Yang, Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26, and Ang Da Yuan, 26.

Satheesh was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

He died at about 7.25am following the altercation.

He was 31 years old.

Siow was arrested along with six men in the aftermath of the incident.

Background

Siow burst into tears in court on Friday, Oct. 18, when told that her murder charge had been reduced to assault.

Her reduced charge means that she escapes the death penalty.

Offenders convicted of assault can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to S$5,000.

Following the proceedings in a district court, Siow was allowed to go home after spending the past four months in remand.

Siow was offered bail of S$15,000.

She was slapped with two fresh charges on Oct. 25, after her murder charge was reduced to assault.

She faces three charges in total.

Three others still face murder charge

Siow was one of seven people originally charged with the murder of Satheesh.

The other six people originally charged with murder are:

Tan Hong Sheng, 22

Loo Boon Chong, 25

Tan Sen Yang, 28

Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26

Chan Jia Xing, 26

Ang Da Yuan, 26

However, three of them had their murder charge on July 11 reduced to that of consorting with a person carrying an offensive weapon in a public place:

Tan Hong Sheng, 22

Loo Boon Chong, 25

Chan Jia Xing, 26

Three of them who allegedly punched and kicked the victim, are still charged with murder:

Tan Sen Yang, 28

Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26

Ang Da Yuan, 26

Those charged with murder are not offered bail.

The punishment for consorting with a person who possesses an offensive weapon is up to three years’ jail with at least six strokes of the cane.

Only male offenders below 50 can be caned.

The punishment is the same as that for the person who carries the weapon.

For causing hurt, the maximum penalty is up to two years’ jail along with a fine of up to S$5,000.

The maximum punishment for behaving in a disorderly manner in public is a fine of up to S$2,000 and up to six months’ jail, for a first offence.

Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.