Probation for youth who detonated homemade bombs at East Coast Park
Beachgoers at East Coast Park on the evening of Jun 19, 2020. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
SINGAPORE: A 19-year-old youth was on Thursday (Jun 30) sentenced to 18 months' probation for making and lighting up improvised pipe bombs at East Coast Park.
The youth cannot be named as he was under 18 at the time of the offences and therefore protected by the Children and Young Persons Act.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh said the probation suitability report found that the youth, who is a polytechnic student, had no recent violent offences and no intention to hurt anyone with his actions.
His fascination with fire and explosives was found not to be extensive, and he had moved on to other interests. The youth had also been cooperative and his parents were prepared to increase their supervision of him, said the prosecutor.
The youth pleaded guilty in May to four charges of making explosives without a licence, committing a rash act with a dangerous substance likely to cause hurt or injury to others, and abetting such an act. Three more similar charges were considered for sentencing.
His interest in explosives dated back at least to April 2019, when he and a friend brought improvised sparkler bombs that he made to the beach at East Coast Park.
He asked his friend to light one of the sparkler bombs up and throw it into the sea. It detonated, emitting a series of flashes and a loud explosion.
The youth started researching how to make bombs online during the COVID-19 "circuit breaker". Between May and June 2020, he bought 200 boxes of matchsticks to make pipe bombs.
He brought two pipe bombs and several sparkler bombs to a skate park at East Coast Park on Jun 7, 2020.
He first lit up the sparkler bombs, which produced flames but did not explode. He picked one up and threw it towards a grass patch, causing the bomb to explode on contact with the ground.
He then placed the two pipe bombs on the same grass patch and lit them, before running away. One of them detonated, causing a loud explosion and emitting sparks.
He took home the other pipe bomb that did not detonate and disposed of it in the rubbish chute.
On both occasions, the youth had taken videos of the bombs going off and posted them on Instagram. Police were alerted to these posts on Jun 19, 2020.
In sentencing, District Judge Kessler Soh said he hoped the youth would learn from this experience and not carry out such potentially dangerous actions again.
Under his probation conditions, the youth must stay indoors from 10pm to 6am, perform 60 hours of community service and attend psychiatric or psychological treatment as necessary.
His parents also executed a bond of S$5,000 to ensure his good behaviour during the probation period.
The penalty for making explosives without a licence is up to three years' jail and a fine of up to S$10,000.
Those who commit a rash act with a dangerous substance or combustible matter likely to cause hurt or injury to another person, or abet such an act, can be jailed for up to one year, fined up to S$5,000 or both.
