Jail for man who fled S’pore after rash act linked to burn victim

He ignited a fire using sealant spray at the victim's workplace in 2019 incident

- Shaffiq Alkhatib Court Correspondent

A man fled Singapore after committing several offences in 2016 and 2019, including an act linked to one of his victims who suffered burns that needed skin grafts.

Toh Wei Tiong left the country in August 2019, and was arrested when he returned here in 2025.

Now 45, he was sentenced to 10 months' jail on Jan 7 after he pleaded guilty to one count each of assault, performing a rash act that could endanger human life, criminal intimidation and being part of an unlawful assembly.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhou Yang said Toh and two other men – Donovan Doran Chung Yi Peng and an unnamed friend of Chung's – went to the burn victim's workplace in Eunos in the early hours of Aug 24, 2019.

Chung had a prior disagreement with the victim, the court heard.

The DPP said: "Donovan took one can (of sealant spray) which was next to where the victim was (in a workshop), sprayed it onto a large area towards the victim and used his lighter to ignite the emitted substance.

"The victim's clothes (caught) fire. At around the same time... (Toh) took another can and did the same with his own lighter... The workshop also caught fire."

At around 1.45am, the victim ran to a restroom to splash water on himself to put out the fire on his trousers.