NSF asks judge to send him to detention barracks instead of reformative training

SINGAPORE — A 21-year-old full-time National Serviceman who ran afoul of the law outside of his military service asked the judge to sentence him to the detention barracks (DB) on Thursday (Feb 14).

“Is it possible for me to be sentenced to DB?” Junior Tan Yong Sheng asked District Judge May Mesenas on Thursday (Feb 14).

The judge replied: “I am not the military court.”

Ms Mesenas then sentenced Tan to at least 12 months of reformative training at the Changi Prison Complex. His sentence will be deferred until after he completes his two-year NS conscription on April 6.

The DB comes under the Singapore Armed Forces and is for military offenders.

Tan was convicted of possessing a knuckleduster — a scheduled weapon under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act — as well as threatening to upload a 15-year-old student’s nude photographs and videos on social media. He committed both offences last year.

Ms Mesenas reminded Tan to stay out of trouble for the rest of his time in NS and told his mother, who is his bailor, to ensure he surrenders himself for reformative training.

As part of conditions of Tan’s bail of S$15,000 — which was increased from S$8,000 on Thursday — his mother needs to ensure he abides by a curfew between 10pm and 6am.

“If he reoffends, he would be sentenced as an adult. That will complicate matters,” the judge said.

According to court documents, Tan first offended at about 1.50am on March 31 last year.

He was hanging out at a local area network (LAN) gaming cafe at Lorong 39 Geylang with a 17-year-old friend when they bumped into the friend’s “rival”, who went by the name of Bryan.

Bryan later called his friends and they confronted Tan and his friend, Sunny Tan Leng, who was assaulted.

Still unhappy, the two groups decided to settle the matter at a footpath along Tampines Industrial Avenue 3. They were intercepted beforehand by the police, who acted on a tip-off from someone from Boys’ Town.

The police found Tan in possession of a knuckleduster.

A few months later on Sept 13, Tan got acquainted with a girl over the dating application Tinder and threatened to circulate her video and nude pictures on social media if she rejected his request to meet up for sex.

He gave her until 9.15pm on Sept 19, but the victim made a police report just before the deadline.