Man to get stern warning for making bomb threat on Singapore Airlines flight SQ33
The alleged incident occurred on flight SQ33. (Photos: Twitter/@veratheape)
SINGAPORE: A man will be given a stern warning for making a bomb threat on a Singapore Airlines flight, but will plead guilty to another charge of slapping a man on the same flight.
The prosecution intends to administer a stern warning to La Andy Hien Duc, 37, after reviewing the report from the Institute of Mental Health, the court heard on Thursday (Oct 27).
The charge of using threatening words likely to cause alarm carries a fine of up to S$5,000.
La Andy Hien Duc's lawyer Johannes Hadi told CNA that his client suffers from schizophrenia.
The man will plead guilty in November to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt by slapping a man's cheeks on SQ flight SQ33 from San Francisco to Singapore on Sep 28.
The American was originally charged in September with one count each of slapping a man’s cheeks and using threatening words by stating there was a bomb on the flight.
After the alleged bomb threat, the police were alerted and the plane landed safely at Changi Airport under the escort of Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter jets.
Officers from the Airport Police Division and Special Operations Command’s K-9 Unit, as well as the Singapore Armed Forces’ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group, were mobilised to investigate the threat, which turned out to be false.
The accused, who appeared in court via video link appearing significantly slimmer, will return to court to plead guilty on Nov 4.
If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
