Latest news with #LenardTan
Malay Mail
15 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘I burn and let you see': Man torches flat after grandma refuses entry, jailed seven months in Singapore
SINGAPORE, July 4 — A man who became enraged after his grandmother refused to let him into their home in Singapore set fire to a piece of cardboard and wedged it in the entrance of their flat, endangering her safety. Today, he was sentenced to seven months' jail for mischief by fire. Channel News Asia reported that Lenard Tan Yong Jia, 27, had returned to the flat he shared with his stepfather and grandmother on April 18, only to find the metal gate locked despite the wooden door being open. After knocking and calling his grandmother six times without a response, Tan became furious. Unknown to him, his 67-year-old grandmother had deliberately ignored his calls as she was afraid of him, suspecting he was a drug addict. The two had previously had an undisclosed dispute. According to the facts of the case, Tan lit a piece of cardboard using a lighter and placed it between the metal gate and wooden door, next to a cardboard box that was already wedged in the doorway. He filmed the fire and sent a video to his uncle, along with a voice message in Mandarin saying: 'You want to play with me, I burn and let you see.' He then left the scene with the fire still burning. Neighbours alerted the victim shortly after, and she managed to put out the flames by pouring water on them. Tan's aunt later called the police, saying her nephew had 'gone crazy' and set her mother's home on fire. The fire damaged the door, floor tiles, skirting and paint near the entrance. Repairs were estimated to cost about S$7,000 (RM23,200), although the work has yet to be carried out. Tan was later found in possession of two penknives and the lighter used to start the fire. He was arrested and remanded. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jotham Tay told the court that Tan had known his grandmother was home when he started the fire. 'He moreover did so with the door open and the cardboard box wedged in the door, allowing for the fire and smoke to spread into the unit. This would have endangered the victim's health or even life,' said Tay, who sought a jail term of five to six months. Tan pleaded guilty to one count of mischief by fire. A second charge was taken into consideration. He could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
CNA
16 hours ago
- CNA
Man set fire to flat when grandma did not open gate, gets jail
SINGAPORE: Angered that his grandmother would not respond to his calls for help to open the gate, a man set fire to a piece of cardboard and wedged it in the door to the flat. His grandmother was alerted to the fire by her neighbours and managed to put it out by pouring water on the flames. Lenard Tan Yong Jia, 27, was sentenced to seven months' jail on Friday (Jul 4) for one count of mischief by fire. A second charge was taken into consideration. The court heard that Tan was a student at the time and lived in a flat with his stepfather and his grandmother. On Apr 18 this year, he went home and discovered that the wooden door could be opened, but the metal gate was locked. Unable to enter, he knocked on the door, but there was no response. He called his grandmother on the phone about six times, but she refused to pick up the call. This was because she was scared of her grandson, whom she believed was a drug addict. The pair had also had an undisclosed dispute before this. Tan was angry as he knew that his grandmother was at home. He used his lighter to set fire to a piece of cardboard just outside the house and placed it in the gap between the metal gate and wooden door, against a cardboard box that was already wedged in the opening of the door itself. He then took a video of the fire and sent it to his uncle, along with an audio recording that said "you want to play with me, I burn and let you see" in Mandarin. Tan then left the scene with the fire still burning. The victim heard knocking shortly after and heard her neighbours calling out to her. She discovered the fire and put it out by pouring water on it. Tan's aunt called the police saying her nephew "went crazy" and burnt her mother's house. The fire damaged the door, floor tiles, skirting and paint around the entrance. Repairs are estimated at about S$7,000 (US$5,500), but this cannot be confirmed as Tan's stepfather has yet to decide whether to go ahead with the repairs. Tan was found on Apr 18 with two penknives and the lighter he had used to start the fire. He was later arrested and remanded. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jotham Tay sought five to six months' jail for Tan, saying Tan knew that his 67-year-old grandma was home when he started the fire. "He moreover did so with the door open and the cardboard box wedged in the door, allowing for the fire and smoke to spread into the unit. This would have endangered the victim's health or even life," said Mr Tay.
