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Man jailed for threatening market vendor with chopper over spectacles row

Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)
Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)

Furious over a pair of spectacles which he was told to buy, the man returned with a chopper and threatened to chop a pasar malam vendor at Tanjong Pagar Plaza.

Gan Boon Hin, a 47-year-old Singaporean, was angry that the vendor, 22-year-old Lee Jian Peng, had asked him to buy the spectacles before he could remove and check the lenses.

Gan was sentenced to 12 months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intimidation after he threatened to cause Lee “grievous hurt” with the chopper on 16 October last year at around 5pm.

Another count of criminal intimidation with a chopper involving another person on 14 October and one count of refusing to have his photo and fingerprint taken at the Jurong Police Division Headquarters were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

On 16 October last year, Gan approached Lee at his pasar malam stall outside Tanjong Pagar Plaza at around 4.30pm to buy a pair of spectacles. He told Lee that he wanted to remove the lenses to check them. However, Lee told him that he had to buy the pair of spectacles before he could dismantle them, which upset Gan.

The two got into a scuffle after Gan punched Lee on his chest. Lee later called the police and asked Gan to go away. Gan threatened to bring his friends to beat Lee up.

After a while, Gan left and returned with a chopper. He swung the chopper down on Lee’s table several times, scaring Lee and his customers. Gan dared Lee to come out of his stall if he had the guts, threatening to chop him.

Lee tried to place a metal pole at the entrance of the makeshift stall to prevent Gan from entering and called for the police again.

Gan was later arrested near the pasar malam.

In mitigation, Gan said that his daughter was still young and that he wanted to spend Chinese New Year with his family.

For criminal intimidation with intent to cause grievous hurt, Gan could have been jailed up to seven years.