Teen in vandalism case has sentence overturned
Youths arrested for vandalism at Blk 85A Lorong 4 Toa Payoh arriving at the State Court to be charged on May 10, 2014. (From left) David William Graaskov, Goh Rong Liang, Chay Nam Shen, Boaz Koh Wen Jie, and Reagan Tan. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Overturning a lower court’s earlier sentence of probation, the Chief Justice (CJ) today (July 29) ordered teenager Boaz Koh Wen Jie — one of the five youths who trespassed on and vandalised the rooftop of a HDB flat in Toa Payoh last year — to be sent for reformative training.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon’s decision followed an appeal by the prosecution against the 18-year-old’s initial sentence of 30 months’ probation, claiming that it was too lenient a punishment for the main instigator of the vandalism act.
At the time of the offence in May last year, Koh was serving an 18-month probation for theft.
During the appeal hearing two weeks ago, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Francis Ng took issue with Koh’s voluntary enrolment into a Christian rehabilitation centre, only eight days before he pleaded guilty. This, he argued, was a tactical move, calibrated to lighten Koh’s sentence.
Last month, District Judge Lim Keng Yeow took Koh’s stint at the rehabilitation centre into account as he mulled over the sentence, noting that the teenager had shown a “clear and sustained turnaround” over the past year.
Urging the court to send a “strong signal” by sending Koh to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC), DPP Ng said: “Although prevention is always better than cure, other youthful offenders may be less inclined to avoid wrongdoing if they think they can avoid reformative training with relative ease once they are caught.”
Noting that rehabilitation remains “the main sentencing consideration”, CJ Menon pointed out that there was a much-heightened need for deterrence in this case, since Koh had reoffended while on probation, and showed “increasingly serious criminal behaviour”.
Koh and his friends had stolen spray paint, trespassed on the rooftop of Block 85A, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, and scrawled profanities insulting the People’s Action Party and the police.
His accomplices were earlier sentenced to 15 to 24 months’ probation.
Accepting the prosecution’s appeal, CJ Menon said: “(Koh) will benefit from the rigorous and structured environment for rehabilitation that reformative training will provide.”
A stint at the RTC lasts between 18 months and three years, and includes regular foot drills and counselling.
Koh’s lawyer James Ow Yong said his client was prepared to enrol in the RTC. “In the past six months, (Koh’s) attitude has really changed. Just look at the fact that he’s prepared to accept RTC,” Mr Ow said.
