SINGAPORE - A man took home bottles of hand sanitiser placed inside a lift which were meant for residents of a Bishan Housing Board block.

On other occasions, he emptied their contents onto the floor of the same lift. When confronted, Low Ken Lum claimed he wanted to disinfect the area.

But investigations showed that he also tore posters placed inside the same lift, insisting that they were not properly affixed.

The 50-year-old Singaporean was fined $4,000 on Friday (July 24) after pleading guilty to two counts of mischief.

The court heard that Low had emptied a bottle of hand sanitiser placed inside lift A at Block 182, Bishan Street 13 around 4.30pm on March 21.

He dumped the contents on the floor. Low also tore down two posters from the lift wall and flung them onto the floor before stepping out.

It emerged that Low had committed a similar act in the same lift at around 11am six days later, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Wee Hao said.

It was not stated if he lives in the same block.

The Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council received multiple feedback in March about the posters and damaged bottles of hand sanitiser.

Low's acts were eventually captured on a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, prompting a town council officer to alert the police on April 1.

He admitted during the investigation that he had also taken some sanitiser bottles home for his own use.

DPP Tan told District Judge Carol Ling on Friday that Low's offences caused wrongful loss to the town council, which had to put up new posters, and the People's Association as it had to replace the hand sanitiser bottles.

The DPP added that the four posters cost about $5 each while the bottles of hand sanitiser were of an unknown value.

Low, who has made no restitution, pleaded for leniency on Friday.

For each count of mischief, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined.