Jail, fine for man who used slingshots to shoot ball bearings, damaging neighbour's windows
Jail, fine for man who used slingshots to shoot ball bearings, damaging neighbour's windows
SINGAPORE – Whenever he felt bored, a man would shoot metal ball bearings from his room using slingshots and other items, aiming at lamp posts and signages.
On one occasion, Ip Hin Yew even tried to shoot at a nearby parked car that was blocking a rubbish truck.
Between February and April 2023, he used slingshots to shoot ball bearings from his Bukit Panjang Housing Board flat, damaging a neighbour's windows on two occasions.
The 46-year-old Singaporean, who has since made full restitution of $550 to his neighbour, was sentenced to 12 weeks' jail and a fine of $4,000 on April 23 .
He had pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including committing a rash act that endangered the safety of others, and being in possession of spring-powered pistols and a replica rifle that shot water absorbent pellets.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gladys Lim told the court that in 2021, Ip developed an interest in slingshots and guns that shot ball bearings.
He then decided to buy these items from e-commerce platform Taobao.
Police officers who raided Ip's home in May, 2023 found seven slingshots, three spring-powered pistols and a replica battery-operated rifle.
DPP Lim said: 'The accused watched Youtube videos showing how people would use slingshots. He started practising shooting the slingshots, replica pistols and toy rifles with the metal ball bearings from his room.
'He would do these 'target practices' from the window of his room and shoot at lamp posts or signages at random timings or whenever he was bored,' she added.
On Feb 23, 2023, Ip's 63-year-old neighbour alerted the police, stating that somebody had thrown a 'pinball' at his window, damaging it.
The following month, he made a police report again , saying that he had heard a sound from an 'airgun' and found a ball bearing along a common corridor near his home.
He lodged a third police report in April that year after his wife heard a cracking sound at their window and found a ball bearing nearby.
Police raided Ip's home on May 2, 2023, and he was charged in court in 2024.
On April 23, the DPP told the court 'it was fortuitous that no one was injured'.
She said the potential harm would have been greater if Ip had accidentally shot someone with a ball bearing.
'However, we...note that the accused did not appear to have been intending to use the slingshots for more nefarious purposes.'
The prosecutor also stressed that a deterrent sentence was necessary in this case to safeguard public order and safety.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
9 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Singaporean driver arrested in Johor Bahru following roadside altercation
JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA: Johor Bahru police arrested a 40-year-old Singaporean man on Sunday evening (Jun 8) in connection with a roadside dispute that escalated into a physical confrontation with a local couple. The arrest came approximately 28 hours after the incident, which took place on Saturday afternoon in Skudai, Johor. The Johor Bahru North Police District shared that the investigation began after police discovered a Facebook video circulating on Facebook, uploaded by a user named 'Vicky Sing,' showing a heated argument between two men on the side of the road. The complainant, a 31-year-old Malaysian man, reported to the police at 3:01 p.m. on Saturday that he had been driving his BMW sedan through Queen's Garden in Skudai at about 2:39 p.m. when the Singapore-registered Toyota Altis behind him repeatedly honked. The Malaysian man claimed he was accused of obstructing the Toyota, which led to a verbal argument that morphed into a physical altercation between the two drivers. Police investigations revealed that during the confrontation, the Singaporean man kicked the Malaysian man's car, causing damage to the vehicle's body. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. The arrested Singaporean driver was taken into custody at around 6:20 p.m. on Sunday in Johor Bahru, where police also seized evidence relevant to the case. Authorities confirmed that he has no prior criminal record and that a urine test conducted was negative for drug use. The Johor police said that the man is expected to be brought before the Johor Bahru Court on Monday (Jun 9) for an application to extend his detention as investigations continue.
Online Citizen
10 hours ago
- Online Citizen
Driver in fatal Tampines crash faces fresh charge for grievous hurt, bringing total to five
SINGAPORE – The driver involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Tampines last year that killed two people, including a student from Temasek Junior College, was handed a fresh charge on 9 June 2025. Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 44, is now facing a fifth charge under the Road Traffic Act. His latest charge accuses him of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt to two motorists—van driver Chia Tong Chai, 65, and car driver Muhammad Azril Mahmood, 49. The incident occurred on 22 April 2024 at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4, where a chain collision involved multiple cars, a van, and a minibus. No plea was taken from Syafie during the court session. His case has been adjourned, and he is scheduled to return to court on 26 June 2025. Syafie, a Singaporean, was first charged on 25 April 2024 with four offences: dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing hurt, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident. According to court documents, the fatal series of events began at around 7am on 22 April 2024. Syafie was allegedly driving along Bedok Reservoir Road towards Tampines Avenue 4 when he abruptly changed lanes to overtake a car. This resulted in a sideswipe collision, causing the overtaken vehicle to veer left and scrape its tyres against the road kerb. Syafie allegedly did not stop to provide his particulars. Subsequently, he ran a red light and collided with three cars. The impact led to further collisions with a van and a minibus. The crash resulted in two fatalities. One victim, 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, was a passenger in a car driven by her father, Muhammad Azril. The other victim, 57-year-old Norzihan Juwahib, was a passenger in the van driven by Chia. She was an employee of a pest control company. Several others were injured, including an 11-year-old boy in one of the cars and another boy on the minibus. Chia and Azril, now identified as victims of grievous hurt in the latest charge, also sustained serious injuries. Video footage of the accident was widely circulated on social media, drawing national attention to the dangers of reckless driving. In addition to the criminal charges, Syafie is facing two civil lawsuits for negligence. The plaintiffs are Chia and another passenger of the van. If convicted of dangerous driving causing death, Syafie could face two to eight years in prison and disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles. For dangerous driving causing hurt, he could be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both, in addition to driving disqualification. A conviction for dangerous driving carries a penalty of up to S$5,000, up to 12 months' jail, or both. Failing to stop after an accident may lead to a fine of up to S$1,000, up to three months' jail, or both. The new charge of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt carries a jail term of between one and five years and a mandatory driving ban. Traffic Police: 142 killed in accidents as Singapore's traffic deaths hit five-year high in 2024 The Tampines case comes amid growing concern over traffic safety in Singapore. According to the Traffic Police's annual report, road fatalities and injuries reached a five-year high in 2024. A total of 142 lives were lost in traffic accidents last year, up from 136 in 2023. Injuries also increased to 9,302 in 2024, from 8,941 the previous year. While red-light running violations fell by 11.9%—from 32,867 in 2023 to 28,965 in 2024—the number of fatal accidents linked to red-light violations also declined. However, a more alarming trend emerged. Among the 139 fatal accidents in 2024, 46 were attributed to speeding. This represents one in three fatal crashes, compared to one in four in 2023. There was also a sharp 64.8% increase in speeding offences in 2024. To combat the issue, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam announced on 15 February 2025 that demerit points and composition fines would be increased. Additionally, from April 2025, red-light cameras islandwide were activated with speed enforcement capabilities. Speaking on the urgency of the matter, Shanmugam stated, 'People are dying and getting injured on our roads. Every vehicle is a potential missile—it's dangerous if you don't use it properly.'
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
Singaporean driver nabbed in Johor Bahru following viral road rage incident
JOHOR BAHRU: A Singaporean man has been arrested on Sunday (Jun 8) following a road rage incident in Malaysia's Johor Bahru that has gone viral online. The man will remain in remand for another four days until Jun 12, Johor Bahru Utara police chief Balveer Singh told the media on Monday. Officers from the North Johor Bahru District Police responded at 3pm on Saturday to a police report filed by a Malaysian couple, shortly after the incident happened that afternoon at around 2.39pm. Balveer also released a statement on Sunday evening confirming that the Johor Bahru police arrested a 40-year-old Singaporean man at around 6.20pm on Sunday in response to the police report. 'The suspect does not have a criminal record and tested negative for drugs,' said Balveer, in the official police statement. The case will be investigated under Section 426 of the Penal Code, for mischief and damaging property and Section 509 of the Penal Code, for insult of modesty. There were no injuries reported, with only some damage to the car coming as a result of the incident. The police also seized several items as part of the arrest, according to Balveer's statement. According to the Johor police statement, a Malaysian couple were driving a BMW car around the Tun Aminah area in Skudai, Johor, when they were horned at several times by a driver who was driving a Singapore-registered Toyota Corolla Altis. The incident has gained widespread attention across social media, after Facebook user Vicky Sing posted clips of what she said was an incident involving her, her boyfriend and another car in the Sutera Mall vicinity. One of the clips posted on Saturday at 4.29pm shows a dent on the front right side panel of a car while in other clips, two men could be seen arguing, with one of the men also kicking a car. The videos have since gone viral, attracting almost 400 000 views, and over 1,400 comments. The post also included videos of the altercation, as well as pictures of the Singaporean man and his car.
