Killer litter: Two land behind bars for rash acts

Two men who pleaded guilty to throwing items from their Housing Board flats were jailed on Wednesday for acting rashly and endangering the safety of other residents.

Tattoo artist Jerry Tan Kok Keong, 35, flung two laptops, a radio and a speaker from his 12th-floor flat in Bukit Batok on Feb 5 because he felt "attacked" by electrical frequencies.

He was found unsuitable for a mandatory treatment order, which spares offenders a fine or jail if they agree to attend treatment and counselling.

Imposing a month's jail, District Judge Ng Peng Hong said psychiatrists found Tan did not suffer from mental illness. The items were bulky and could have inflicted serious injury. Tan's lawyer, Mr Adrian Wee, said his client had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and had commenced treatment.

In the same court on Wednesday, Kwan Weng Kheong, 44, was jailed for two months for throwing a metal table down three floors. It was outside his neighbour's flat, and his action was captured on a closed-circuit TV camera above her door.

A report from the Institute of Mental Health said Kwan suffered from a persistent delusional disorder involving the neighbour, said defence counsel Christopher Bridges, acting for free under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

However, the unemployed man was found to be unsuitable for a mandatory treatment order.

He had a previous conviction for killer litter in 2011 for which he was jailed for six weeks.

The maximum punishment each man faced was a six-month jail term and a $2,500 fine.

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