:

Both accused, in this joint trial, are tried for offences under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 that carry the mandatory death penalty, in each case, upon conviction.

In 45-7-93, the accused Tan Kim Ho (OKT1) is tried for the following offence:

Bahawa kamu pada 5 Ogos 1992, jam lebih kurang 2.20 pagi di Hot Lips

Lounge, No 3-J, Jalan Penang, di dalam Daerah Georgetown, di dalam

Negeri Pulau Pinang telah melakukan rompakan di tempat berkenaan, dan

semasa melakukan rompakan itu, kamu telah melepaskan tembakan yang

menyebabkan kecederaan ke atas seorang nama Edmund a/l K Gnanamuthu dan

juga menyebabkan kematian ke atas seorang nama M Ramesh a/l M Munisamy,

dengan demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan di bawah s 3, Akta

Senjatapi (Penalti Lebih Berat) 1971 (Akta 37) yang boleh dihukum di

bawah seksyen yang sama Akta tersebut.

In 45-6-93, the accused Ho Jin Lock (OKT2) is tried for the following offence:

Bahawa kamu pada 5 Ogos 1992, jam lebih kurang 2.20 pagi di Hot Lips

Lounge, No 3-J, Jalan Penang, di dalam Daerah Georgetown, di dalam

Negeri Pulau Pinang telah didapati berada bersama dengan Tan Kim Hoo

(K/P No 7052640) melakukan rompakan di tempat tersebut, dan semasa

melakukan rompakan tersebut, kamu dengan semunasabahnya mempunyai

pengetahuan bahawa Tan Kim Hoo mempunyai sepucuk senjatapi di dalam

miliknya, dan bahawa Tan Kim Hoo telah melepaskan tembakan dengan

menggunakan senjata tersebut dengan niat untuk menyebabkan kecederaan

ke atas seorang nama Edmund a/l K Gnanamuthu dan kematian terhadap

seorang nama M Ramesh a/l M Munisamy dan dengan itu kamu telah

melakukan satu kesalahan yang boleh dihukum di bawah s 3A, Akta

Senjatapi (Penalti Lebih Berat) 1971 (Akta 37).

The prosecution adduced the following evidence. On 4 August 1992, at about 11.30 pm, six young professionals (Ananths party) -- two magistrates of the Georgetown Magistrate Court (Ananth Velusamy (PW3) and Donald Joseph Franklin (PW8)), two legal practitioners (Krishna Kumari (PW5) and Edmund a/l Ghanamuthu (PW6)), a teacher (Ramesh), and a bank officer (Terrence Stephen Periera (PW4)) -- were at a public bar, Hot Lips Lounge, at Jalan Penang, Georgetown. They were seated -- if one were to enter the lounge from the main entrance at the side of the building -- at the extreme right of the lounge. Past midnight, about 12.30 am on 5 August 1992, there was a commotion at the opposite end of the lounge, near the stage. Ooi Kean Lee (Ooi -- PW7), the proprietor of Hot Lips lounge, switched on the lights and proceeded to investigate the cause -- there was an argument between two groups of patrons. Those patrons departed from the lounge but returned a short while later, and fought, with beer mugs, inside the lounge. One group consisted of two patrons while the other group consisted of about seven to eight patrons. One patron sustained an injury above his eye-brow. After the fight, the two groups departed from the lounge. The lights were dimmed once more.

Meanwhile, Ananths party, who was not paying attention to the commotion, stayed on at the lounge. However, by about 2.30 am (5 August 1992), then past the closing hour, all other patrons had left the lounge. The lights were switched on. Only Ananths party, Ooi, and Lee Kum Weng (Oois partner) standing behind the bar counter opposite Ananths party, were in the lounge.

Just then, two men wearing crash helmets walked into the lounge, towards Lee Kum Weng. Those two men shouted angrily, in Hokkien, at Lee Kum Weng. One of them, wearing John Lennon style spectacles, hit Lee Kum Weng repeatedly with a crash helmet lying on the bar counter. The other man stood by. Ananths party was about 10 feet away. Ramesh got up and started to walk towards the washroom. Just then, the other man (who had a surgical plaster above his left eyebrow) pulled out a gun