NUS student allegedly deflated tyres of five cars in Woodlands
A man who allegedly deflated the tyres of five cars at two multi-storey carparks in Woodlands was charged on Nov 21 with being a public nuisance.
Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, 23, purportedly committed the offences between 10am and noon on Nov 19 at the multi-storey carparks at Block 517A and Block 519A Woodlands Drive 14. He also allegedly placed fliers on the windscreens of the five vehicles.
Charge sheets state these acts caused annoyance to the public.
Police said on Nov 20 that a car owner alerted them when she found the tyres of her vehicle deflated at one of the carparks.
Chia was arrested within eight hours. Preliminary investigations showed that at least four other vehicles nearby were similarly damaged.
According to a photo of the flier that was left on the vehicles, the acts were purportedly carried out in the name of a climate activist group that is against the use of sport utility vehicles. This is believed to be the first case in Singapore linked to the group.
Chia has been remanded at Woodlands Division and attended court proceedings through video-link on Nov 21. The bespectacled and bearded man was clad in a blue T-shirt and handcuffed.
A police prosecutor requested that the case be adjourned for investigations, and added that Chia would likely face more charges.
His lawyer Anil Sandhu said Chia is a student at NUS and it was now the exam period. Mr Sandhu asked for the next mention of the case to be after his client’s exams. The lawyer added that Chia’s parents were in court and would bail him out.
Chia asked if he could say something about the adjournment period, to which District Judge Lorraine Ho said he could speak to his lawyer. Judge Ho set his bail at $5,000, and his case will be heard again on Dec 9.
An NUS spokeswoman told The Straits Times on Nov 21 that it takes a serious view of student misconduct, including criminal offences committed off campus. The university will take the necessary disciplinary action following court proceedings, she added.
If convicted, Chia can be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $2,000, or both.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now