6 weeks’ jail for man who locked up salesman’s father, helper over unpaid loan
Chris Ng Sze How wanted to force Mr Chow Yeow Hui to repay a loan by placing a padlock on the gate of the latter's house but it was Mr Chow's father and domestic helper who were home at the time.
SINGAPORE – Unhappy that his girlfriend had been cheated by a salesman, a 39-year-old man decided to seek revenge by placing a padlock on the alleged scammer’s home.
However, it turned out that the salesman was not at home. Instead, Chris Ng Sze How had locked up Mr Chow Yeow Hui’s father and domestic helper.
Ng was sentenced to six weeks’ jail by the State Court on Monday (Dec 23) for wrongfully confining the two persons.
The court heard that Mr Chow, 30, had borrowed an unspecified amount of money from Ng’s girlfriend and had promised to return it.
However, Mr Chow became uncontactable and Ng took it upon himself to seek out the younger man at his home on Sept 22 at around 2am.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee said that Ng, who worked as a private-hire driver at the time, had brought along a padlock and chain with him, as he intended to padlock Mr Chow’s home to force him to pay up.
But when Ng arrived, Mr Chow’s domestic worker told him that Mr Chow was not at home, and that she was unable to reach him by phone.
On hearing this, Ng chained and padlocked the gate anyway, and told the maid that he would only unlock the padlock if she was able to reach Mr Chow. She was only able to contact Mr Chow at around 7.30am.
Mr Chow then lodged a report with the police and told them: “The ah long (loan shark) come to my father house to padlock our gate.”
The police then came to free the helper and Mr Chow’s father.
Ng admitted to locking the unit with a chain and a lock with the knowledge that both victims were inside the unit.
Mr Gwee told the court that Ng’s actions were premeditated and that it bore striking similarities to loanshark harassment.
Ng, who was unrepresented by a lawyer, said in his mitigation that Mr Chow had been avoiding him and his girlfriend.
“Chow is a scammer,” he said. “We didn’t see him for more than a year. Couldn’t get him at all. He had been evading us.”
In response, District Judge Carol Ling said: “Two wrongs don’t make a right. Even if he were a scammer, this is not how you deal with the matter.”
For wrongfully confining someone, Ng could have either been jailed up to a year, or fined up S$3,000, or both.
