Unemployed man, who used to be a cop, jailed for taking drugs, trying to set fire to neighbour’s home

SINGAPORE — A former police corporal has ended up on the wrong side of the law, landing himself in jail after pleading guilty on Thursday (Nov 21) to seven charges, including drug consumption and possession, and housebreaking by night.

Tan Yan Chong, 35, was sentenced to one year and 11 months’ jail. Another 16 similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

In April last year, Tan — who was unemployed at the time, having left the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 2008 — was first arrested for climbing onto the balcony of his neighbour Wong Soon Yuh’s apartment from his own balcony in the wee hours. 

Upon his arrest, he claimed that his neighbour’s girlfriend had installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in his home and was monitoring him.

Later, the authorities seized more than 50 packets of illegal drugs from his Bukit Timah home, including methamphetamine and ketamine. 

While awaiting bail, he shouted “f*** you” at a prison officer after complaining that the clothes provided were transparent.

But he did not stop there. While out on bail, he tried to light the neighbour’s front door on fire and shoved soil mixed with glass shards under the door. He was arrested again. 

On Thursday, Tan, who did not have a lawyer, asked District Judge Salina Ishak for the “lightest sentence possible”.

He said in mitigation that he had complained to the police “for the way 10 to 12 officers manhandled me when I was just sitting on my sofa (at home)”. 

But this cut no ice with the judge, who questioned why this should be considered a mitigating factor.

Tan also claimed that he had sought help at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for his drugs issues before being arrested, and had caused limited harm to the public.

In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor Magdalene Huang said that Tan had admitted that he would either sell or give away the drugs, to which District Judge Salina said that Tan could count himself lucky he was not facing a trafficking charge.

CALLED POLICE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NEIGHBOUR

The court heard that on April 5 last year, at about 3am, Tan called the police and claimed that a couple living next door had admitted to installing CCTV cameras in his home. He called the police again a few minutes later to tell them not to head to his place because he wanted to talk it out with Mr Wong first.

At about 6am, Tan climbed over the low wall separating Mr Wong’s unit from his place. 

Mr Wong and his girlfriend woke up from the noise and saw Tan trying to pry open the glass doors at the balcony. 

When Mr Wong asked him what he was doing, Tan claimed that Mr Wong’s girlfriend had installed CCTV cameras in his home. Tan then climbed back to his unit.

Mr Wong called the police and Tan was arrested. He was taken to the police lockup before being escorted back to his home, where the drugs were seized.

These included more than 30 ecstasy tablets.

Tan admitted that he intended to consume the drugs and would sell them if there were buyers. He had bought methamphetamine five times from someone identified only as “Apple”.

About two weeks later, on April 19 last year, a prison officer was escorting Tan in Changi Prison to process his bail.

Tan complained that the clothes provided to inmates waiting to be bailed were transparent, and the officer explained that they were standard issue.

Tan then shouted a vulgarity before repeating it in a softer voice when the officer warned him to mind his words.

Tan was released on bail but he re-offended just nine days later. 

That day, at about 3pm, a neighbour looked through the peephole in her door and saw Tan squatting in front of Mr Wong’s front door, using duct tape to seal off the door edges.

Three hours later, she saw Tan light a roll of paper on fire and brush it against the door, while spraying what she believed to be aerosol onto the door.

She called the police and Tan was arrested again. When Mr Wong returned home, police officers discovered soil mixed with glass shards under the door.