Jail Term Raised for Man Roped in to Assault Teen Over Money Owed Due to Traffic Accident

A 17-year-old boy who caused a traffic accident after borrowing money to rent a car was assaulted by a group of six people when he failed to repay the $8,400 in costs incurred.

- Selina Lum

The victim was first assaulted at an HDB block on Nov 25, 2024, before he was taken to Lim Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery, where he was repeatedly punched in a confrontation that lasted two hours.

On Sept 5, one of the assailants, a 22-year-old man, had his jail term for a rioting charge increased by the High Court from 13 months to 18 months following an appeal by the prosecution.

This meant his total sentence was increased to 23 months' jail, one stroke of the cane, and a fine of $800.

The man had pleaded guilty to four other charges aside from the rioting charge.

He was also banned from driving for a year starting from the date of conviction and for two years starting from the date of his release.

He is the second person in the group to be sentenced. The other cases are pending.

The assailants are not named because any information leading to the identification of individuals under the age of 18 cannot be published under the Children and Young Persons Act.

The victim had borrowed $200 from another boy of the same age to rent a car.

He then paid a 23-year-old woman to rent the vehicle on his behalf.