A fight outside a pub in Geylang leaves two victims with knife wounds. Here’s how officers from Bedok Division leveraged PolCam to bring the perpetrators to justice.
By: Leow Su Ling
Hello, Police?
In the wee hours of 30 August 2019, the Police were alerted to an assault case at a pub along Geylang Road. A caller reported that there were two men bleeding profusely. The urgency was clear in his voice as he requested for Police officers to be sent over.
First responders soon arrived at the scene and the two victims were sent to hospital. The caller told the Police that he’d gone to the pub with his friends, the two victims of the assault.
While they were having drinks, he’d stepped away to use the washroom. When he returned to the table, his friends were missing. He then exited the pub to look for them, only to find them outside, injured and bloodied.
What Happened Outside the Pub?
The Investigation Officers (IOs) from Bedok Division sprang into action and reviewed the CCTV footage from the pub. They were able to identify the main perpetrator of the assault as Goh Eng Chew.
By trawling through other CCTV footage, the IOs learnt that there’d been a dispute between an unknown patron of the pub and a bouncer. Goh was seen trying to settle the dispute between them.
The two victims were seen smoking nearby outside the pub. One then took out his handphone and started recording the dispute. Goh’s friend, later identified as Jonathan Soo, saw this and approached the victim to demand that he stop recording.
This started a dispute, which led to a physical fight. Goh and another assailant, identified as Jeremy Seet, joined Soo in assaulting both victims.
Goh was armed with a pocketknife and stabbed one of the victims twice in the chest and the other victim on the right knee. The assailants then fled in their vehicles.
The Hunt Begins
Having identified the assailants, the IOs tracked them down after conducting extensive groundwork. It was established that Goh was staying at a unit at North Bridge Road.
By trawling through PolCam footage of the area, Goh and Soo were spotted returning to the unit after the stabbing incident. To avoid detection, they took separate lifts to the same apartment. The IOs also found footage of Goh leaving the apartment block.
The IOs then attempted to ambush Goh in his vehicle along Jalan Sultan, but he evaded them and managed to get away. The Police Operations Command Centre was alerted and Police resources were activated to look out for Goh’s vehicle.
Meanwhile, following a reported sighting of Seet's vehicle along East Coast Park Service Road, another team of officers successfully arrested Seet in his vehicle. The officers also found multiple drugs in the vehicle.
Eyes on the Ground
The IOs continued to search for Goh, and their efforts paid off when they found his empty vehicle in a multi-storey carpark at North Bridge Road. PolCam footage showed Goh leaving the carpark in a black jacket.
The IOs made enquires in the area and discovered that Goh was staying in a hotel nearby. The Police officers, working together with officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau, stormed the room and found Goh. Drugs were found in the room while a search of Goh's vehicle also revealed the presence of drug-related paraphernalia.
With Goh and Seet in custody, the IOs established Soo’s location and he was apprehended soon after.
Brought to Justice
In September 2021, Goh was found guilty of Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt by Dangerous Means and other offences. He was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment. Seet was sentenced to 23 years and eight months’ imprisonment, for Affray, Possession of Controlled Drugs and Drug Trafficking, among other charges. Soo was sentenced to one week’s imprisonment for Affray and Consorting with Persons Carrying Offensive Weapons in Public Places.
Through the determination and investigative skills of the officers, the three perpetrators were brought to justice. Well done!
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