Youth admits to hurling Molotov cocktail at neighbour's flat on behalf of loanshark
Threatened by a loanshark, a Singaporean youth agreed in turn to harass his neighbour on the criminal’s behalf.
Under the loanshark’s instructions, Lu Mingduo concocted a Molotov cocktail and threw it at the front door of his neighbour’s flat in Jurong West.
The resulting fire forced the neighbour’s father and his 13-year-old daughter onto the sixth-floor ledge outside the unit’s master bedroom window. The incident, which took place in August this year, also caused over $15,000 in damage.
Lu, who is now 20, pleaded guilty to one count of committing an act to cause annoyance on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender at the State Courts on Monday (3 December). Another two similar counts will be taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Started with a phone call
According to court documents, Lu received a phone call from an unlicensed moneylender named “Sunny” on 7 August this year. Sunny asked to speak to Lu’s father, but Lu said his father no longer resided at the flat.
Sunny claimed that Lu’s father owned a neighbouring unit, and that Lu’s neighbour owed him money. He threatened to harass Lu if the latter did not harass the neighbour on his behalf.
Lu agreed to do it in order to prove that the neighbouring unit did not belong to his family. He also wanted to avoid being harassed by Sunny. The neighbour in question had, in fact, taken a loan from Sunny in May this year.
On Sunny’s instructions, Lu threw a mixture of chilli sauce, milk, beancurd and paint at the neighbour’s door that night. He also left a burnt A4-sized paper magazine with writing at the unit’s doorstep.
The next morning, Lu bought paint thinner and constructed a makeshift Molotov cocktail with it, which he then threw at his neighbour’s unit. As his first throw did not result in the bomb igniting, Lu had to pick it up and hurl it again.
This time, however, the device ignited and caused his neighbour’s electronic bicycle to explode. It also left the corridor outside the unit engulfed in fire and smoke. Lu then fled the scene.
He was stopped and questioned by a police officer at the ground floor of the block, during which he confessed to his actions. Lu was charged in court on 10 August.
Rescued by SCDF
At the time of the explosion, his neighbour’s father had been at home with the latter’s 13-year-old daughter. Fearing for their safety, the pair climbed out of the flat’s master bedroom window and stood on the window ledge until the Singapore Civil Defence Force helped them to safety.
A resident living on a higher floor in the same block also heard the explosion. As thick smoke began wafting into his unit, the 51-year-old fled his home.
He was unable to make it down the block, however, and collapsed due to smoke inhalation and burn injuries. He was hospitalised for 10 days and incurred hospital bills of about $600.
Restoration to the HDB block amounted to $10,498.96 while the neighbour’s flat sustained $5,000 in damage.
Lu has been remanded to assess his suitability for reformative training and will be sentenced at a later date.
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