Woman who called police, SCDF 16 times to harass brother's ex-wife and in-laws jailed
SINGAPORE — Believing that her brother had been mistreated by his former wife and her family, a woman called the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on them a total of 16 times over two years.
Michelle Choo Xin Yi, 41, would make up false reports about gambling, prostitution or drug-taking activities taking place at the homes of her brother’s ex-wife and in-laws – both of which were in Yishun.
At the State Courts on Tuesday (17 December), Choo was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail. She said through her lawyer Cory Wong that she intended to appeal against the sentence.
Although she faced 16 charges of sending false messages to the authorities, she pleaded guilty to three, with the rest being taken into consideration for her sentencing.
Called authorities from public phone
According to court documents, Choo’s younger brother Ronald was divorced from a woman named Sharon. Due to previous disputes, Choo had the impression that Sharon and her parents had mistreated Ronald.
Between April 2015 and October 2017, Choo made false reports to the authorities alleging that vice activities were taking place at the home of Ronald’s former in-laws.
On 5 March 2017, Choo called the 995 emergency hotline and pretended to be Sharon, claiming that her 70-year-old father had fainted at home. An ambulance and five paramedics were sent to the unit, where the father-in-law said he had not called for assistance.
On 10 October that year, Choo again used a public telephone to call the emergency hotline and told the same lie. This led to paramedics once again being deployed to the victims’ home.
When Choo made the call to police officers about alleged vice activities at the victims’ units, she also used the name of an insurance agent with whom she held a grudge against.
No diagnosed mental condition: Defence
Choo's lawyer Cory Wong sought a fine of not more than $15,000 or, failing which, a jail term of not more than eight weeks.
Even though Choo was not diagnosed with any psychiatric condition, her past personal issues could possibly inform her current psychological state, said Wong.
District Judge Seah Chi-Ling said that a fine alone was “clearly inadequate” given the sentencing considerations in Choo’s case. He noted that emergency medical services had been deployed on at least two occasions and that some police resources were expended to track down Choo.
For sending a false message, a breach of the Telecommunications Act, Choo could have been jailed up to three years, fined up $10,000, or both.
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