A teenager who repeatedly threatened family members with knives after disputes over money has been ordered to undergo reformative training for at least a year.
On Jan 5, a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to one count each of assault, criminal intimidation, harassment and cheating by personation. He cannot be named due to a court-imposed gag order.
According to ST, the offences began when the boy was 15.
On July 14, 2024, he argued with his 51-year-old father over the amount of allowance he should receive while they were at their Housing Board flat. During the dispute, the teenager went into his room, retrieved a karambit – a knife with a curved blade – and charged at his father.
The father managed to wrestle the knife away, but the boy punched him in the face.
The pair later clashed again on March 8, 2025, this time over air-conditioner usage. The teenager retrieved another knife with a 23cm-long blade and stood silently near his father while holding it.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Vishnu Menon told the court: “The accused behaved in this threatening manner, intending to cause alarm to the victim.”
Later in 2025, the boy moved in with his maternal uncle.
On Oct 25, 2025, he asked his uncle for $30 but was refused. In response, the teenager retrieved a karambit from his room, placed it at his uncle’s throat and asked if he “knew he could be killed”.
In a separate offence, the teen also attempted to cheat a mobile phone store by using a fake identity card to collect a phone advertised online as part of a “fast cash” scheme.
The court heard that the teenager faced a total of 12 charges. He pleaded guilty to four, while eight others were taken into consideration for sentencing, according to Shin Min Daily News.
The court ordered him to undergo reformative training for a minimum of one year. Under this programme, youth offenders are detained in an institution where they undergo a strict regimen that includes counselling, foot drills and vocational development.
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