Teen admits to killer litter offences

SINGAPORE - In May this year, a 16-year-old used a bent paper card to act as a spring to launch a bicycle wheel from the 14th floor of a housing block and hit a woman below.

A Community Court heard on Monday that the victim, 67-year-old retiree Mahani Abdullah, was walking past Block 1 Eunos Crescent when she was hit by the wheel on May 16. She died on June 6 from sepsis due to urinary tract infection.

In the dock was Abdul Hamid Rahmat, who admitted to causing grievous hurt to Madam Mahani by doing an act so rash as to endanger life, as well as to two other killer litter offences. He faced a total of five charges.

On Dec 13 last year, he caused grievous hurt to Mr Kyi Phyu Phyo Wai by hurling a brick from the 12th storey of the block, breaking the 25-year-old's right finger.

On Aug 24 last year, he threw two ceramic tiles over the parapet at the 11th floor, by tying a rope round the handle of a water dispenser and releasing it over the parapet at the 12th floor, and throwing a dumbbell over the parapet at the 13th floor.

The court heard that Abdul Hamid, who is in remand, picked up a bicycle wheel at the block's rubbish collection centre on May 16.

He suddenly felt angry and frustrated with his parents for "not being able to understand (him)''. He felt that they had nagged him incessantly about his earlier offences, and thus decided to throw the wheel from the block to vent his anger.

As he was under investigation for throwing a brick from the block, he felt it was too risky to push the wheel off the parapet.

He then carried out a test of his improvised contraption, using a bent paper name card to act as a spring to catapult the wheel when the wind blew through it. He blew at the card and the spring worked as planned but he managed to catch the wheel in time.

He went and hid in the lift and remained there to observe his plan. Shortly, he saw the card spring out before the wheel catapulted from the 14th floor. It struck Madam Mahani who had serious injuries.

Highlighting aggravating factors, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shen Wanqin said Abdul Hamid displayed a high-level of premeditation and planning.

She said he showed a complete disregard for risks of injury to innocent victims, and that the teen had taken active steps to conceal his involvement in the offences.

The court heard that he suffered from untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as conduct disorder, and that his risk of re-offending was high.

District Judge Lim Keng Yeow postponed sentence to Dec 23, pending pre-sentence and reformative training centre reports.

elena@sph.com.sg

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