Andrew Gosling, the Australian man who critically injured a 73-year-old grandfather in 2019 when he flung a wine bottle from a seventh-floor condominium elevator landing, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison on Apr. 8, according to The Straits Times.
Gosling, now 49, was one month into his job search in Singapore when he became inebriated and harbored hostile thoughts toward the Muslim community, prompting him to throw a wine bottle at a Malay-Muslim family gathered for a housewarming event on the fifth-floor barbecue area of the Spottiswoode 18 condominium, according to Today.
The wine bottle that killed Nasiari Sunee, 73, also ricocheted and seriously injured his wife, Manisah Sitri, 69, whose arm had to be in a sling for two months.
It took ten days for him to surrender to police.
On Aug. 18, 2019, Gosling was drinking wine when he peered down from his seventh-floor balcony and noticed a group of around 15 Malay-Muslims congregating at a BBQ area two floors below, according to ST.
During the course of the inquiry, Gosling revealed that he considered shooting the group with a weapon "such as a gun."
He eventually rejected the notion, stating that it would be a "heinous" deed.
At 8:30 p.m., Gosling left his apartment to deposit trash in the elevator lobby's communal chute, where he discovered an empty wine bottle.
He hurled the wine bottle at the family in an attempt to "startle" them, then fled the scene shouting obscene and religiously laden vulgarities about Muslims.
Nasiari's skull was fractured when the wine bottle struck him.
The bottle then ricocheted off Nasiari's head and struck his wife's right shoulder, injuring her severely, according to Today.
Nasiari was sent to Singapore General Hospital in a condition of unconsciousness and died the next morning.
Following the event, the police interrogated all condominium occupants.
When two police interrogated Gosling and demonstrated the bottle to him, he lied and said he had never seen it before, according to ST.
He eventually surrendered on Aug. 28, 2019, ten days after the incident, after realizing that the fingerprints and DNA he supplied to authorities may be used to trace him down.
Offenses with a "religious slant"
According to Today, the judge agreed with prosecutors that the offenses were "religiously exacerbated" since Gosling displayed animosity toward Muslims.
According to ST, prosecutors informed the court he committed the offenses because he was "enraged and outraged" by terrorist assaults in Bali and Melbourne by Islamic fundamentalist organizations that killed Australian nationals.
According to a psychiatric evaluation, Gosling's anti-Muslim sentiments at the time of the offenses were "obsessive negative ideas" that he was prone to while inebriated and were not indicative of his genuine views and intentions.
In previous court sessions, Gosling's attorneys asserted that the beliefs he verbalized were a result of his disinhibited and disturbed mental condition.
Prosecutors emphasized that Gosling had these anti-Muslim sentiments and acted on them when he aimed and hurled the bottle towards Nasiari's table.
According to Today, the judge stated that such offenses jeopardize Singapore's ethnic and religious peace and must not be condoned.
Additionally, the judge acknowledged Gosling's genuine regret for his acts, despite the fact that he surrendered days later.
Additionally, Gosling reportedly compensated the family on his own volition.
Gosling was sentenced to four years in prison for causing Nasiari's death and 18 months for gravely wounding Nasiari's wife, both to run concurrently.
Nasiari and Manisah had a 45-year marriage, according to Today.
Manisah needed time to adjust to her husband's death and frequently had flashbacks to the tragedy.
Though she tries to be strong for her children, when she is alone, she will cry to herself.
Manisah told reporters during the court hearing that she was grateful her four children were present and that what had occurred was "fate," according to Today.
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