Jail for drunk man who threw bicycle from 10th floor to vent anger at not meeting girlfriend

SINGAPORE — He waited for his girlfriend at her home for several hours, drinking beer to pass the time but when she did not show or respond to his phone calls, he threw a bicycle from the 10th floor of the public housing block to vent his anger.

On Tuesday (March 15), A Harinthear, 23, a Singaporean, was jailed for six weeks after pleading guilty to one charge of committing a rash act. He was also fined S$1,000 for not wearing a mask in public that day, contravening Covid-19 rules.

Court documents showed that Harinthear went to the flat at Edgedale Plains in Punggol to meet his girlfriend around noon on Dec 16 last year, after drinking a can of beer.

Upon reaching the girlfriend’s unit, he saw his girlfriend’s uncle outside drinking. He decided to drink with the uncle while waiting for the girlfriend, who the uncle said had just left the house.

Harinthear went to a nearby supermarket twice during that period to buy five cans of beer in total, shared between the two men before he decided to leave at about 4pm.

By then, he was intoxicated and also angry as he was unable to meet his girlfriend, who had not responded to his calls.

While leaving, he saw an adult-sized bicycle at the level 10 lift lobby and threw it over the ledge to “vent his anger”, court documents stated.

The bicycle bounced off a sheltered walkway below and landed on a grass patch in front of the lift lobby on the ground floor. Both the shelter and bicycle were damaged in the process.

The police received a call from staff members of the estate's town council regarding the incident.

Closed circuit television footage showed that Harinthear was not wearing a mask from when he was on the 10th floor lift lobby until he reached the ground floor.

Prosecutors sought a sentence of six to eight weeks’ jail for the rash act charge, pointing to the high degree of danger posed by the act.

Harinthear's intoxicated state and his previous mischief and drug-related offences were also highlighted as aggravating factors.

A fine of S$1,000 was sought under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Act, because Harinthear was seen not wearing a mask in a public place.

The judge sentenced Harinthear to six weeks’ jail and a fine of S$1,000. He also ordered Harinthear to pay S$90 as compensation to the owner of the bicycle.

For committing a rash or negligent act that endangers the life or personal safety of others, a person can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$2,500, or both.

Contravening the Covid-19 regulations carries a fine up to S$10,000 or a jail term no longer than six months for a first offence.