SINGAPORE - A full-time national serviceman (NSF) who left his home to commit loan-shark harassment during the circuit breaker period pleaded guilty to breaching safe distancing measures on Tuesday (June 2).

Chua Jun Yong, who turns 21 on Wednesday, was charged under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act last month.

He also admitted to harassing debtors on behalf of a loan shark on two other instances, as well as driving a car without a valid licence and car insurance policy.

One other charge of loan-shark harassment and two other charges related to illegally driving a car will be taken into consideration by the court during sentencing at a later date.

According to court documents, Chua became acquainted with a loan shark known as "Jasper" some time in March this year.

He took a loan of $800 from Jasper, but was subsequently unable to repay the sum in instalments.

Chua was then offered work by Jasper to harass other debtors on his behalf, whereby $150 would be deducted from the youth's outstanding loan for each apartment unit that he harassed.

The NSF agreed to harass the residents of eight apartment units to settle his loan, which amounted to $1,200 inclusive of accrued interest payments.

He harassed debtors on behalf of Jasper on three occasions in April.

Two were on April 6, while the other was on April 9, which was two days after the circuit breaker measures took effect.

At around 1am on April 6, Chua secured the front gate of a Tampines flat with a bicycle lock.

He then used a marker to write a message about a purported loan on a wall near the lift landing.

He committed a similar act at another flat in Hougang about two hours later.

Chua drove a rented car to both flats even though he did not have a valid driving licence.

At around midnight on April 9, he left his Bedok Reservoir Road flat in violation of the circuit breaker measures.

He then went to a flat in Holland Close, where he used a bicycle lock to secure the front gate of the unit and scrawled a message on a wall with a marker.

Mr Ng Shi Yang, who is assigned as Chua's defence lawyer under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, told the court in mitigation that Chua was "driven to desperation" and feared that loan sharks would harm him or his family.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Kee pointed out that this was not a mitigating factor in sentencing, as established under the law.

The court eventually ordered Chua to be assessed for reformative training, and adjourned the hearing to next Tuesday.

For his offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, Chua can be jailed for up to six months, or fined up to $10,000, or both.

He can also be jailed for up to five years and fined between $5,000 and $50,000 for each count of loan-shark harassment.