• The teenager pleaded guilty to four charges
• He committed a series of crimes in the space of two months
• These included stealing eggs from a supermarket to throw at cars and buildings

SINGAPORE — In the space of two months this year, a 16-year-old boy committed a slew of crimes — from stealing eggs to fling at vehicles and buildings to spraying fire extinguishers on the premises of a school.

The Secondary 3 student, who cannot be named by law because of his age, pleaded guilty on Friday (July 9) to four charges of theft in a dwelling, public nuisance and mischief. 

Eleven similar charges, including criminal trespass and drinking liquor in a public place after 10.30pm, will be taken into consideration during sentencing next month. 

The legal drinking age in Singapore is 18.

District Judge May Mesenas called for a report to assess if the teenager is suitable for probation.

This is usually offered to first-time offenders between 16 and 21 years old. It does not result in a recorded criminal conviction and allows offenders to continue with their education or employment while serving their sentences.

ABOUT THE CASE

The teenager committed many of the crimes with two other boys, aged 16 and 17.

On April 9, he and the 17-year-old went to a Sheng Siong supermarket on Woodlands Street 31 to steal eggs. 

Before this, the teenager drank four cans of beer and made six prank calls to the police hotline.

The pair were bored and wanted to throw the eggs at vehicles.

They first took four cartons of eggs, costing S$13.20, and left around 3am. 

The teenager threw the eggs at the nearby Singapore Association for Mental Health building, before targeting moving vehicles.

They returned to the supermarket at 3.45am and stole another four trays of eggs.

The teenager flung them at a side entrance of the Woodlands Police Division headquarters as well as into a Woodlands public housing unit through a window.

He was arrested by police officers soon afterwards and later released on bail.

On June 3, he struck again with the two boys. 

Climbing over the school gate of Christ Church Secondary School in Woodlands at around 10.40pm, they went to the canteen in search of something to drink. 

They saw packets of Milo inside a refrigerator secured with a plastic chain.

The teenager used his lighter to melt the chain before they stole 18 packets of the chocolate-flavoured drink. 

He also threw one of it at a classroom window, which shattered from the impact.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Sim said that later, the teenager and the 17-year-old boy were walking along a corridor in the school and “formed the common intention to play with fire extinguishers”.

They sprayed the contents of seven extinguishers onto the corridor, outside the school’s general office and at its parade square. 

The devices cost about S$90 to replace.

Court documents did not state whether the other two boys have been dealt with under the law.

When District Judge Mesenas asked the teenager if he had been attending school, he said that he had lost interest but recently asked his school if it was willing to take him back. 

Adult offenders convicted of theft in a dwelling can be jailed for up to seven years or fined.

For public nuisance, offenders can face a jail term of up to three months or a fine of up to S$2,000, or both. 

Those who commit mischief can be jailed for up to two years or fined, or given both penalties.