When the riot squad arrived, they met with no resistance. The rioters threw aside their weapons and obeyed orders. They were taken away to Changi Prison. Six weeks later, on 26 August 1963, 71 detainees stood before the Fourth Magistrate, Khoo Hin Hiong, each charged with four counts of murder, one of attempted murder, and one of mischief by causing fire. Forty-seven photographs of damaged buildings and bodies of the murdered officers were produced. One picture showed a guitar among a pile of tyres. “Evidence will show,” said the Public Prosecutor, “that these people were singing and celebrating the holocaust.” Lee Meow Cheng, a settlement attendant, told the Court that the rioters had held a victory celebration. “Some of them changed into new clothes for the celebration. They strutted about like conquerors of Pulau Senang,” said Lee.
Low Ah Kow, a settlement assistant, gave the Court a detailed account of what happened. He said that at 12:15 pm that day, he and other officers fell in outside the guard room and were informed by Tailford, the chief officer, that trouble was expected. They were instructed that when the siren sounded, they were to fall in again outside the guard room. Tailford then dismissed them. Low went off to the mess room, where he was detailed to look after Halls, A, B, C and D. Another settlement officer was told to look after Halls E, F, G and H. Low heard the work-gong sound at 12:50 pm and then shortly after, while standing outside Hall A, he heard the three short blasts of the alarm siren. He saw a large group of detainees approaching him: they were armed with cangkuls, parangs, pipes and other weapons. They were led by the gang leader, Tan Kheng Ann, alias Robert. His prison number was 860/60. He had a parang in his hand. They charged towards the mess room, but made no attempt to assault him.
A group of rioters had surrounded Choo Ah Kim, another settlement assistant. He looked as though he was suffering from shock. Then Low saw an unarmed group of detainees rush into the armed mob to rescue Choo and carry him into the administrative block. Low himself went with them as far as the prison hospital to get some medicine. While he was inside the hospital, he saw, across the road, three armed rioters smash the petrol pump lock and draw some of the fuel, then run off towards the store. While still in the hospital grounds he heard a voice yell: “Bobby! Cut the radio wire!” Later, he saw Bobby (whom he identified as Lim Tee Kang) running towards the radio wire and cut it with an axe.
From the hospital, Low rushed to the administrative block to report to Dutton. Dutton then was outside the building about to fire his Verey pistol. By now two groups of rioters were approaching the building. First they set fire to the general office, then the workshop. They attacked the guard room. Tailford was outside, trying to ward off the assault. He was felled, stabbed in the temple. Attacked by three thugs, Dutton dashed into his office. When he came out, his clothes on fire, four rioters brutally attacked him.
The savagery of the attack on Dutton was amazing. Medical evidence showed that Dutton had several cut wounds on his body, three on his head, two on the trunk and nine on the limbs. On the skull there was a large horizontal cut on the right side of the head. The fifth, ninth and 10th ribs were fractured. There was also a deep cut towards the back of the head. Death was due to haemorrhage from intracranial bleeding. The body was almost completely burnt, except the feet, which were covered by his boots. If he had not died from the fracture of his skull, he would have died from the burns.
The preliminary hearing took 18 days. When it ended, 64 of the accused were committed for trial in the High Court. But only 59 actually stood trial before Justice Buttrose on 18 November 1963. The Public Prosecutor decided not to proceed against five: they were stood down.
Never before, in Singapore, had there been such a mammoth trial. A special dock was constructed to accommodate all 59 prisoners. In the crowded Court, over which Justice Murray Buttrose presided, were, in addition to the guards and court officials, 11 counsel, and a jury of seven (all Chinese). Listed as Assize Case No. 68/63 of Twelfth Assizes, 1963, the trial of Tan Kheng Ann (alias Robert, alias Robert Black, alias Ang Chuar), and 58 others, lasted from 18 November 1963-12 March 1964. The Court sat on 64 days. The evidence was recorded in 21 large volumes of typescript, a total of about half a million words.
All 59 prisoners pleaded not guilty. And 44 said nothing in defence: they remained silent. Eleven went into the witness box and made their defence on oath. Three made their defence by unsworn statements from the dock. The Judge took nearly five days to sum up. He ordered the Press not to report anything he said in his summing up until the jury returned with their verdict. The jury retired late in the morning of 11 March 1964. They came back into Court in the afternoon of 12 March 1964. They found 18 guilty of murder 29 guilty of rioting. The rest were found not guilty of murder or rioting and were acquitted though not set free, for they were still under Criminal Law detention.