SINGAPORE — After drinking seven cans of beer at home, a construction worker went to a bus depot and caused damage to two buses as they arrived at the depot.

Zhu Honglu, 32, a China national, pleaded guilty on Monday (Nov 15) to one count each of mischief and causing annoyance in a public place while drunk.

Besides the fact that he was intoxicated, court documents did not state why Zhu wanted to damage the two SMRT Corporation buses.

The court heard that the incident occurred on Nov 22 last year at about 1.30am outside the bus depot at Woodlands Industrial Park.

As the driver of the first bus was turning into the depot, he saw Zhu standing in the middle of the road before he ran towards the bus, shouting.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Hidayat Amir said that Zhu pulled off the windscreen wiper and knocked on the windscreen. 

“He then attempted to pull open the bus doors, but failed. (Zhu) left after some time,” DPP Hidayat added.

Twenty minutes later, as the second bus was turning into the depot, Zhu dashed in front of it, causing the driver to brake.

He began shouting at the bus driver, before pulling apart the side mirror on the driver’s side of the bus.

He then used the side mirror to hit the windscreen, causing several scratches.

Zhu again tried to kick open the bus doors. “Failing to do so, he pulled apart the rubber seal attached to the bus door,” DPP Hidayat said.

No repair was needed for the first bus but the second required S$6,200 worth of repairs to the windscreen and mirror.

Zhu has made full compensation for the repairs to SMRT Corporation.

The prosecution is seeking three to five weeks’ jail for Zhu, noting that the maximum jail term for mischief had doubled after an amendment to the Penal Code came into effect last year.

Zhu’s lawyer Cheryl Ng, however, argued that the maximum penalties having been recently increased does not address whether Zhu’s crimes had crossed the threshold to be jailed for his offence.

Ms Ng, from law firm Zico Law, sought a S$4,000 fine instead of jail, to be paid in instalments.

She argued that Zhu’s act was impulsive and that Zhu was not intentionally targeting the two buses.

“The damage was only caused to property, which was reversible,” Ms Ng said, adding that Zhu had made full compensation, co-operated with the police and readily admitted his guilt.

District Judge Wong Li Tein asked for further submissions from the prosecution and postponed sentencing for a week.

Zhu remains out on bail, set at S$2,000.

For mischief, Zhu could be jailed for up to two years or fined, or punished with both. For causing annoyance in a public place while drunk, he could be fined up to S$1,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both.