Teen who assaulted fellow vaper and confronted police, among other offences, sent to Boys’ Home

SINGAPORE: A 15-year-old boy who attacked a fellow vape user and hurled vulgarities at a police officer after his mother reported him has been placed in the Boys' Home for two years.

The boy, who cannot be named as he is under 18, pleaded guilty to 12 charges. Another eight counts were taken into consideration for sentencing on Sep 25.

The details of the Youth Court case were made available on Thursday (Oct 2). His charges included voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery, harassing a public servant, shop theft and possession of vapes.

On Mar 5, the boy and his friend, known only as T in court documents, met another vaper and agreed to use a Kpod together. 

When the vaper did not agree to let T borrow the Kpod, a fight broke out. The boy and T punched and attacked the victim multiple times, causing him to fall on the ground.

They continued to assault him until he began bleeding from the mouth and nose. He suffered multiple injuries, including a lip contusion and nasal bone fracture.

When the victim denied having any valuables on him, the boy and T searched him and threatened to slash him with a knife – although no knife was shown. The accused then took the Kpod and fled.

On May 1, his mother called 999 and said her son was "going crazy". Two police officers responded to the incident and she showed them a vaping device. The boy's mother explained that her son had not been acting normally since using it.

One police officer noticed that the boy was agitated and asked him to sit down. The boy then shouted at the officer.

The police officer also noticed cuts on the boy's legs and asked him to let paramedics check his injuries. The boy refused and continued to be aggressive, hurling vulgarities at the officer.

The boy has also been found in possession of vapes at various locations on five occasions from February to October 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to beating up a 13-year-old boy. Investigations showed that the victim had badmouthed the boy and two other youths. They confronted the victim and took him to a staircase landing in a multi-storey car park.

Once there, they assaulted him by punching, kicking and pushing him multiple times on his face and torso, causing his head to be slammed against the floor and wall. 

The victim lost consciousness for about 10 minutes. After he woke up, he vomited twice and felt pain in his head, chest, back and abdomen. He also suffered multiple injuries to his ear, knee, chest and abdomen.

On Jul 24, 2023, the victim's aunt called the police.

The court heard that the accused also shoplifted multiple times, taking a bottle of perfume, socks and a gaming mouse, among other things, between June 2023 and May 2024.

In September 2024, he used a lighter to set a pair of wooden chopsticks on fire and placed the burning chopsticks on the plastic table top, damaging it.

In sentencing, District Judge Amy Tung said that probation "would not be a suitable option" for the boy due to the "lack of strong familial support and supervision".

The boy's parents are divorced and his mother has sole custody, care and control of him. She had "voiced out her helplessness in managing the boy's behaviour at home", said Judge Tung.

She noted that the boy's father is serving a prison sentence. "Even if he had been involved in (the boy's) life after the divorce, he would be in no capacity to help the mother in her supervision of (the boy)," said the judge.

"There were also no other appropriate family members who could come alongside the mother to support (the boy) in the community. 

"The lack of strong familial support and supervision does not bode well for a smooth and successful probation journey for (the boy)." 

She said it would be in the boy's best interest for him to be sent to the Boys' Home - a juvenile residential facility run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development - where he can undergo targeted programmes under the supervision and guidance of professionals and youth case workers.

The prosecution asked for no less than two years in the Boys' Home for the accused, and the boy's mother made no comments or remarks in reply.

The judge said she agreed with the prosecution's position.

"I encouraged (the boy's) mother to support him in his rehabilitation journey by visiting him and working closely with the officers at the Boys' Home," said Judge Tung.

"I also encouraged (the boy) to turn his focus back onto his studies and approach his residence at the Boys' Home and the intervention programmes with a firm resolve for positive change and a cooperative spirit."