Commuter seen pulling open train doors had been testing doors for 2 weeks in relapse of bipolar disorder

SINGAPORE: A commuter who got into trouble with the law after being filmed pulling open train doors had been testing the doors for about two weeks and was suffering a relapse of bipolar disorder.

This was revealed in court on Friday (Jan 5) as part of 47-year-old Vanessa Wang Zi Qi's guilty plea.

Wang pleaded guilty to two counts of public nuisance and a third charge of voluntarily causing hurt to a train employee, with a fourth charge taken into consideration.

The court heard that Wang was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and bipolar disorder in 2019, but defaulted on his treatments and follow-ups for two years.

In January 2021, he returned to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for stress and was diagnosed with adjustment disorder but defaulted again.

Around the time of his public nuisance offences, Wang was in a hypomanic relapse of his Bipolar II disorder, which was characterised by elevated and irritable mood, increased energy, a reduced need for sleep and excessive involvement in activities that had potential for painful consequences.

Wang was also suffering from borderline personality disorder at the time, which was characterised by disturbances in his self-image and sense of self, fears of abandonment, a pattern of short-lived, unstable relationships, chronic feelings of emptiness and difficulty controlling his temper.

THE OFFENCES

On Nov 29 last year, Wang boarded a train on the North-South Line. At about 12.50pm between Khatib and Yio Chu Kang, he began pulling at the doors of the train to test if they could be opened while the train was moving.

He succeeded in forcing a gap between the doors, alarming other commuters who asked him to stop. One commuter approached Wang and asked him to wait for the next stop.

When the train got to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station, Wang continued to pull on the doors, this time to prevent them from closing.

An unidentified commuter pressed the emergency button in the train, prompting senior station manager Mr Foo Jee Yong, 65, to check on the train with his colleagues.

When the SMRT employees got there, commuters told them that Wang had been pulling on the doors.

Mr Foo asked Wang to follow him out of the train, but Wang refused and began shouting at the SMRT staff not to touch him.

The SMRT employees stayed on the train with Wang as the train resumed its journey towards Ang Mo Kio.

Wang continued swinging his elbows to avoid the train staff, and kicked Mr Foo's leg multiple times, causing him soreness.

Wang was removed at the next station with the help of more train staff, as he was kicking violently and shouting. Wang then lay down on the platform and refused to move, calling the Singapore Civil Defence Force to say that he was very injured and required assistance.

During investigations, Wang said he had similarly pulled on the doors at Braddell MRT Station on Nov 27, 2023.

He said he had been testing MRT doors along various train lines by pulling them open for about two weeks from mid-November, but could not remember how many times he had done so.

According to an IMH report, Wang's Bipolar II Disorder had contributed to his offences, and a hypomanic mood state would have impaired his judgment and his impulse control.

However, he was not of unsound mind at the time of the offences and he is fit to plead in a court of law.

The IMH report stated that Wang would benefit from continued psychiatric treatment, including medication and psychotherapy, in an outpatient setting.

If he complies with treatment, the risk of harm to others and his risk of re-offending would be significantly reduced, the report stated.

Wang appeared in court via video-link from IMH, where he is remanded, dressed in a white shirt. 

DPP ASKS FOR MTO REPORT

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yvonne Poon asked the court to call for a mandatory treatment order suitability report.

A mandatory treatment order (MTO) refers to an order by the court for an offender to undergo psychiatric treatment.

Ms Poon said Wang has been remanded for 30 days, and an MTO report would be "most appropriate in the circumstances".

Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya of Regent Law also asked for an MTO report, saying this was the first time Wang has ever come to court or run afoul of the law.

The lawyer said Wang cooperated with authorities, offered information and has been truthful.

In his written mitigation plea, Mr Kalaithasan wrote that Wang has been unemployed since 2021.

He was previously a technician, serving national service in the Air Force and has a diploma in mechanical engineering.

Wang was married for 11 years before divorcing his wife in 2017, wrote the lawyer. Wang now lives alone and is estranged from both his father and elder brother. His mother died in 2014.

Mr Kalaithasan wrote that Wang has visited the IMH emergency department multiple times, mostly for "acute situational reactions to psychosocial stressors".

Wang is currently on prescribed hormonal therapy for gender transitioning, the lawyer wrote.

"He needs help, your honour," said Mr Kalaithasan.

The judge agreed with both sides and called for an MTO suitability report. Usually, it takes about two weeks but he fixed the case for sentencing on Jan 17 in hopes it could be completed earlier.