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KEY WITNESS: Louis Hong Hsieh Shuen torched a car belonging to his uncle. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
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A TEENAGER who torched a relative's car testified yesterday that his mother hauled a bag of charcoal across the island for him hours before he set the vehicle on fire.
But Louis Hong Hsieh Shuen said his mum, Teo Sew Eng, had no idea he was planning to use the charcoal to set fire to the vehicle which belonged to his paternal aunt's husband.
Hong, who has already been convicted of the crime, was testifying during the third day of his mother's trial.
The 53-year-old housewife, who was the mistress of Hong's late father, is accused of helping her son burn a car and a van at a multi-storey carpark on Oct 23, 2006.
The teen's claims yesterday were a reversal from what he told police after his arrest in January last year.
At the time, he said his mother knew about the plot - the result of a family squabble - and even told him to be careful.
Yesterday, the prosecution applied to impeach the credit of the 17-year-old, who is the prosecution's key witness. The move would allow the prosecutor to cross-examine the teen as a hostile witness.
In another surprise turn of events yesterday afternoon, it was revealed that the case might well end tomorrow.
After seeing District Judge May Mesenas in chambers, Teo's lawyer, Mr Subhas Anandan, told the court later it was possible that the case would end sooner than planned.
He said he needed time to explain the options to his client in his office today. The case is scheduled to resume tomorrow.
Earlier, Hong, a student, said a maternal aunt told him he had been short-changed on the inheritance left behind by his late father. He received $100,000 but blamed a paternal aunt for pocketing $200,000, according to his statement to police.
'I decided to take revenge on her by burning the car,' he said on the stand yesterday.
Later, he told his mother to get some charcoal and place it at the top floor of the multi-storey carpark in Commonwealth Avenue - far from her condominium apartment in Geylang East.
He said yesterday he did not answer his mother when she asked why he needed the charcoal.
In his statement to the police early last year, he told the investigation officer that he came up with the idea of burning the car. He said his mother initially disagreed but he managed to convince her and she told him to be careful.
Hong stated that he asked his mother to help him get some flammable liquid, charcoal and cloth.
elena@sph.com.sg
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