Year In Review 2019: Top 10 quirky court stories in Singapore
SINGAPORE — In this year-end special, Yahoo News Singapore takes a look at the more amusing and unusual cases that were heard in court this year, ranging from a domestic helper who kept stolen proceeds in a certain body part to an insurance agent who signed off as a villain in a popular novel series.
Man who shaved woman’s chin at the MRT
Clement Sng Tze Min was carrying a disposable razor with him when he bypassed a woman at Tampines East MRT station and tried to shave her chin. Instead, Sng caused a cut on the 19-year-old victim’s chin. Sng was also convicted for removing ATM pin number guards. For these and other offences, he was jailed 11 months.
Magician vanished from court hearing
As a self-professed magician, S Chandran would have made things disappear during performances. And when he was on trial over his charges of submitting more than $70,000 in false claims to the authorities, he simply “vanished”. The prosecution told the court that Chandran had “performed a disappearing act” after he failed to show up. The court was informed that the magician, who owned a website on men’s sexual health, had called an ambulance and was conveyed to hospital that morning.
Man left girlfriend overseas, stole her Rolex watch in Singapore
Ivan Lee Yu Guang lied to his girlfriend that he had to return to Singapore urgently as his aunt was in hospital while the couple were in Bangkok. But his real motive was to break into her flat and steal her Rolex watch, which he pawned to pay off gambling debts. He returned to Bangkok and went on the run for three and a half months.
Man clung onto windscreen of moving car driven by wife’s alleged lover
He wanted to catch his wife whom he suspected of having a tryst at a budget hotel. It led to a climatic end with the man tenaciously clinging onto the windscreen of the alleged lover’s moving car. He was driven some 7km at speeds of up to 70kmh while Desmond Koh Wee Boon, the alleged lover, tried to shake him off for 28 minutes. Koh was jailed and given a driving ban.
Stealing toilet tap from police station and fixing it back home
Seah Kian Li went to the Woodlands Police Division Headquarters to bail his brother out. But he also wanted a piece of souvenir to bring home: a basin tap worth $171.20 from the police station. The stolen tap was found fixed to Seah’s home toilet during a police raid.
Man who got fed up with unhygienic customer at Haidilao
Jason Esaias Gao Weijie was upset that a fellow customer had left a bowl he was eating from on the condiment counter at the hotpot restaurant. Things got heated up when Gao smashed his own sauce bowl into the man’s face.
Prudential agent who impersonated arch villain in Harry Potter
Signing off as “Lord Voldermort” (sic) in letters, Ye Lin Myint demanded Bitcoin from clients whom he deemed had disrespected him by cancelling their policies from him or ghosting him. He threatened to use their personal details to get them fired from their jobs, among other threats. But Ye wasn’t as crafty as the Harry Potter villain - DNA found on the stamps of the letters matched his saliva and it sealed his conviction.
The maid who hid $5,002 stolen from employer in her vagina
Bajo Nelgielyn Bobita was arrested on suspicion of theft and the money that she had stolen came to light when she went through a body scan at Changi Women’s Prison. Found inside her vagina were the thousands in cash that she had stolen from her employer, wrapped in a sanitary pad and plastic bag.
Using umbrella to steal bra and getting caught in the act
Ong Meng Xiang left his home with an umbrella but he wasn’t thinking of shielding himself from the elements. He saw a bra hanging from a bamboo pole on the second floor of a residential block and tried to dislodge it with his umbrella. But a clothes peg caused his umbrella to be stuck just as police officers witnessed his brazen act.
Man stole $3,000 of fishes and hid them in waist pouch
In a scheme to sell fish online, Poh Keng Ann snuck into Qian Hu Fish Farm thrice and used a fishing net to steal ornamental fish. He netted $3,196 worth of fish, including discus fish, luo han, sucker fish, some of which died in his fanny pack.
Other year-end stories
Year In Review: Top 10 news stories in Singapore
Year In Review 2019: Who and what dominated Yahoo searches in Singapore
Year In Review 2019: Top sports searches in Singapore
Year In Review 2019: Most read court and crime stories in Singapore
