Youth convicted of setting car on fire
A SECONDARY 4 student in the dock for burning a car in October last year was convicted after he pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
But Ho Ki Yeow, 17, claims that the crime was not his idea - he blames classmate Louis Hong Hsieh Shuen for talking him into it.
The Community Court heard that Hong told Ho he had a 'problem'' with the car's owner and wanted to set fire to the vehicle. Ho agreed to help, a decision which subsequently landed him in trouble with the law.
He admitted causing damage of $40,500 to Mr Ernest Tan Kwan Boon's Nissan Sunny at the multi-storey carpark at Block 7B Commonwealth Avenue on Oct 24 last year.
A second, similar charge of burning a Toyota van parked next to the Sunny will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced later this month.
Hong, who also intends to plead guilty, had his case adjourned till June 13 as his lawyer wants to clarify some points in the statement of facts.
Mr Tan, 56, who was overseas at the time of the offence, is Hong's paternal aunt's husband. Investigations showed that Hong and Mr Tan's wife bore grudges against each other over an inheritance left behind by the boy's father. It was not revealed in court what the inheritance entailed, or when the man died.
Late on Oct 23, Ho poured half a bottle of petrol onto the car's bonnet and placed charcoal on top of it. Hong then put the remaining petrol onto the charcoal and lit the towel with a lighter.
He passed the burning towel to Ho, who threw it onto the bonnet.
In his mitigation plea, lawyer Edmond Pereira said Ho did not even know Teo, and agreed to help burn the car after much persuasion by Hong.
Community Court Judge Bala Reddy called for reformative training and pre-sentence reports on June 27.
Connect with Facebook
Youth convicted of setting car on fire 
Linear Mode
