$3,000 fine for NUS student who deflated tyres of seven cars in Woodlands

SINGAPORE — A man who deflated the tyres of seven cars in Woodlands has been handed a $3,000 fine.

On Nov 6, Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, 24, a student at the National University of Singapore, pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief.

The court heard that Chia, a Singaporean, was interested in climate change and environmental issues, and wished to make ownership of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) unattractive.

He thus decided to deflate the tyres of cars parked near his house and to leave fliers on the environmental damage caused by SUVs on these cars.

On Nov 19, 2024, at around 10am, Chia purchased a packet of green beans and took them with him to two multi-storey carparks in Woodlands Drive 14.

He then unscrewed the tyre cap of each car, placed green beans inside the tyre valve and screwed the cap back in, causing the tyres to deflate.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lu Huiyi said Chia deflated all four tyres for the first car and subsequently deflated one to two tyres of each remaining car.

He also left fliers on the cars' windscreens.

Part of the flier read: "Attention — your gas guzzler kills. We have deflated one or more of your tyres. You'll be angry, but don't take it personally. It's not you, it's your car."

Another line in the flier said: "We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others."

DPP Lu said that when one of the victims was driving his car to a petrol station to reinflate the tyres, the car scraped against the curb of the carpark space, damaging the rear spat and requiring repairs of $380.

Chia has since made voluntary compensation of $380 to the victim.

He was arrested the same day he committed the offences.

While the offence of mischief is punishable with a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both, the prosecution sought a fine for Chia.

DPP Lu noted that the damage caused was minor, and that Chia has made voluntary compensation and has no prior convictions.

An NUS spokeswoman previously told The Straits Times that it takes a serious view of student misconduct, including criminal offences committed off campus.

She had said that the university will take the necessary disciplinary action following court proceedings.

ST has contacted NUS for more information on Chia's disciplinary action.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.