Man gets 12 months' jail for criminal intimidation and armed robbery plan

​Angry that a woman had rejected his advances, Ng Chong Guan, 27, threatened to have her killed and her house burned down. Frightened, the woman called the police to report the harassment. The next morning, she called the police again to tip them off about Ng's plan to rob a money changer in Woodlands.

On Monday (Aug 1), Ng was sentenced to 12 months’ jail for criminal intimidation of the woman, as well as a host of other offences, including the possession of a knife he had intended to use in the robbery.

Ng was arrested on Jan 25, the same day the woman gave police the tip-off. He was spotted loitering near the money changer at Woodlands Centre Road with a 13cm-long knife wrapped in newspaper and tucked in his sock, a District Court heard on Monday.

Ng admitted that he had intended to use the knife to rob the money changer, who he had watched on previous occasions. He had been waiting for an opportune moment to strike when he was detained by the police, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw said.

The woman’s tip-off had been prompted by Ng’s constant harassment over a few days prior. He sent the 29-year-old woman text messages threatening to “bomb ur hse tonite (sic)” and boasted that he had guns at home.

“Don’t try to be funny with me I got 2 gun (sic) at home”, Ng said, threatening to “shoot u (sic) to death”.

PAST VIOLENT OFFENCES

This was not Ng’s first brush with the law. On Dec 28, 2015, he assaulted a security guard after the latter stopped him from entering the building. Though Ng had been working there as a cleaner at the time, his job involved cleaning only the carpark and he was not allowed in the building, DPP Siaw said.

Ng punched the 42-year-old guard in his face twice and the guard called the police.

Almost three weeks later, on Jan 15, Ng was arrested again, for verbally abusing a police officer and challenging him to a fight.

A member of the public had called the police to complain Ng was “high and unpredictable” that afternoon at a Yishun Avenue 11 coffee shop. Ng grew agitated as officers began searching his bag, and verbally abused them. In the police vehicle en route to the station, Ng challenged an officer to a fight.

Court documents also showed that Ng had a string of other past violent offences.

In mitigation, Ng’s lawyer Justin Yu, who took up the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said Ng has low IQ which “impairs his ability to concentrate … (and be) in complete control of his impulses”.

Ng’s psychiatric assessment was inconclusive, as he was unable to engage with the psychiatrist, Mr Yu said. Ng was exempted from National Service due to his mental disability and struggles to provide for his diabetic father and mentally ill mother, the lawyer added.

Ng has also been diagnosed with a personality disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and is “prone to recurrent aggression, impulsive acts and anti-social behaviour”, said Mr Yu.

Ng was also given an additional 22 days’ jail for breaching a prison remission order.