Teen pleads guilty in bike wheel killer-litter case

A teen pleaded guilty yesterday to causing a bicycle wheel to be catapulted from a high floor of a Housing Board block, leading to a passer-by being seriously injured.

Abdul Hamid Rahmat, 16, was on police bail for four killer-litter offences when he grievously hurt Madam Mahani Abdullah, 67, by committing the life-endangering rash act on the 14th floor of Block 1, Eunos Crescent, on May 16.

The mother of two suffered serious injuries to her head and spinal cord. She died three weeks later from sepsis due to urinary tract infection.

The teen, represented by Mr Suresh Damodara, also admitted to causing grievous hurt to Myanmar national Kyi Phyu Phyo Wai, 25, whose right finger was broken from a brick the teen hurled from the 12th floor last Dec 13, and to committing a rash act on Aug 24 last year.

A Community Court heard that Abdul Hamid picked up a discarded bicycle wheel at the block's rubbish collection centre on May 16 this year. Then, suddenly feeling angry with his parents for "not being able to understand (him)", he decided to throw the wheel from the block to vent his anger.

He planned how to do it. He took a lift to the 14th floor and pulled out one of its cables to jam its doors open and keep the lift at that floor. He placed the wheel at the parapet and let the centre rest on a bent paper name card, causing it to tilt downwards and away from the block.

The card was to act as a spring to catapult the wheel when the wind blew through it. Later, he saw the card spring out before the wheel catapulted from the 14th floor.

In the August incident, he threw two tiles over the parapet on the 11th floor. He then pushed down a 5kg dumb-bell over the parapet on the 13th floor and a water dispenser from the 12th floor.

Citing aggravating factors, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shen Wanqin said the teen displayed a high level of pre-meditation and planning, and showed a complete disregard for the risks involved.

"His conduct had in fact endangered the lives of people and had in fact caused serious injuries to innocent victims," she added. District Judge Lim Keng Yeow called for pre-sentence and reformative training reports on Dec 23.

elena@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 2, 2014.
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