23-05-2025
Orchard Central attack: Repeat offender gets 10 weeks' jail for assaulting 2 men
On May 23, Adam Hambali Seddon was sentenced to 10 weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, SHINTARO TAY
SINGAPORE – A repeat offender will be spending more time behind bars after he assaulted two men at Orchard Central shopping mall following a night of merry-making on New Year's Day in 2024.
Adam Hambali Seddon was previously released from prison in August 2023 after serving a sentence for an undisclosed offence and placed on a remission order.
As part of the order, the Singaporean was supposed to keep himself out of trouble from Aug 12, 2023 to Dec 10, 2024.
However, he reoffended on Jan 1, 2024, when he rained blows on two men – a 32-year-old promoter at a nightspot called Ark11 and a 19-year-old customer at the same club, located on the 11th floor of the mall.
On May 23, Adam , 32, was sentenced to 10 weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault. He will also spend an additional 70 days behind bars after breaching the remission order.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Delicia Tan told the court that some unnamed people were also involved in the brawl, during which the two victims were stabbed and slashed with at least one weapon. Details on the type of weapon were not stated in court documents.
However, the court heard that Adam was not the one who had used a weapon to attack the men.
DPP Tan said that Adam went to Ark11 with his friends and his fiance on Dec 31, 2023.
He became intoxicated and got into a dispute with an unknown person at the club at around 4am the next day.
The club promoter tried to calm him down, but he suddenly punched the promoter, causing the man to fall.
Adam also kicked the victim and the latter's girlfriend before walking out of the nightspot.
Investigations revealed that the promoter left the club soon after, but was assaulted by a group of people. At least one weapon was used to stab and slash him.
During the commotion, the 19-year-old victim stood nearby to watch , before making his way to a restroom.
Adam then approached the teenager and punched his face, causing him to fall.
Adam and several other unknown people then rained blows on the teenager, who was also stabbed.
The police were alerted shortly before 4.15am on Jan 1, 2024, but Adam fled before officers arrived at the scene. He was arrested the following day.
Both victims were taken to Singapore General Hospital, where they were found with multiple stab wounds.
The club promoter was given eight days of hospitalisation leave, while the teenager received 30 days.
On May 23, DPP Tan asked the court to sentence Adam to up to 16 weeks' jail, stressing that he was the first person to assault the teenager before the other assailants joined in.
She also said that the club promoter was merely trying to break up the argument between Adam and the other club-goer before Adam punched him.
Defence lawyer Riko Isaac, who pleaded for his client to be given not more than 10 weeks' jail, told the court: 'Our client wishes to move on from his chequered past and have a peaceful life going forward.'
The lawyer also said that Adam had not set out to become embroiled in the brawl when he went out that night.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
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