19-year old finally admits guilt in shattering Orchard MRT screen door that cost $3,061 to fix

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

A 19-year-old male, Mohamad Adib Azfar Mohamad — after nearly nine months of denying culpability in causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to a screen door at a train platform — finally admitted his guilt in the incident to authorities yesterday.

The incident occurred last year on September 24 at Orchard MRT station. According to ChannelNewsAsia, Adib was at the train station with his colleagues at about 6am after finishing his shift as a part-time banquet staffer at an Orchard Road hotel.

The report recounted that on that morning, Adib and his colleagues were horsing around at the train platform waiting for the train to arrive. When it pulled up to the station, Adib allegedly attempted to stop his colleague from boarding, but the latter managed to hop on the train anyway. When the train doors closed, the teen kicked the screen door forcefully with his right foot, which shattered it.

Rather than owning up to his mistake, reported Todayonline, Adib fled the scene and took a cab home, but the incident was captured by closed-circuit cameras at the train station platform and authorities were able to track him down.

Estimates by The New Paper put the damages at $3,061 — a bit steeper than usual since the damaged door was a full-height one, unlike the half-height platform screen doors at open-air stations. The same report noted that no restitution had been made since the repairs were made.

According to the same report, District Judge Eddy Tham questioned Adib during the court hearing and asked him why he did “such a stupid thing” and whether he was under the influence at the time. The teen reportedly turned to his mother and consulted her opinion before asking the court to pay for the damages via installments. The judge called for a probation sustainability report and adjourned sentencing, and told Adib to find a way to make restitution before he returns to court for his next hearing on July 17.

In Singapore, a person found guilty of mischief causing damage of more than $500 can be jailed up to two years, or fined, or both.



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