SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A 16-year-old boy who had molested a teenage girl in a lift in June 2020 got into an argument with his own father four months later where he threatened the man with three knives.
The offender, who is now 19, also punched his 49-year-old father in the face, causing a laceration on the latter’s left cheek.
The youth pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Dec 27) to one count each of criminal intimidation and assault.
He had already been convicted of molesting the 15 year-old girl following a trial.
Details of the case were not disclosed in court on Tuesday. The offender cannot be named as he was below 18 when he committed the offences and such individuals are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The offender was with his father in their Choa Chu Kang flat on Oct 15, 2020, when they got into an argument over the teenager’s desire to switch on the air-conditioning in his room.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Matthew Choo said: “The victim had earlier switched off the electrical mains to the air-conditioning unit while the air-conditioning was switched on in the accused’s room.
“The accused was doing physical exercises in his room at that point of time. Thus, the accused entered the victim’s bedroom where the electrical mains were and switched it back on without the victim’s permission.”
The father then said that the air-conditioning should not be switched on as the electrical bills were high, before switching the electrical mains back off.
An argument broke out between the pair, and the teenager retrieved three knives from the kitchen, took them to his father’s bedroom and threatened him.
The offender’s two siblings then stepped in, and he flung the knives on the floor.
Still unhappy, he charged towards his father and punched the man’s face.
A scuffle broke out and the teenager’s sister alerted the police.
Their father later sought treatment at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and was given six days of medical leave.
On Tuesday, the court called for a report to assess the teenager’s suitability for probation.
He will be sentenced on Feb 28, 2023.
