A 34-year-old Singaporean, Vickreman Harvey Chettiar, was sentenced to 10 months and 12 weeks of imprisonment on February 14 after pleading guilty to multiple harassment charges and fabricating false evidence.
Chettiar’s legal troubles escalated after he posted a threatening message on Instagram in April 2023, declaring that then-President Halimah Yacob “deserves to be dragged out” and killed, an outburst fueled by his grievances over the executions of drug traffickers.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE
- Vickreman, already out on bail for harassment-related offenses, made a threatening Instagram post in April 2023, stating that then-President Halimah Yacob “deserves to be dragged out” and killed, which led to his arrest and additional charges.
- Although Vickreman claimed to suffer from mental disorders, evaluations by the Institute of Mental Health found these complaints to be unsubstantiated.
- Following his initial charges, Vickreman continued to make threats, including expressing an intent to stab the judge presiding over his case, leading to further legal consequences and the revocation of his bail.
- After failing to attend a scheduled court hearing and subsequent events, a warrant was issued for his arrest, leading to his capture on April 5, 2024, after which he has been remanded in custody.
According to The Straits Times Report, Chettiar had been out on bail for various offences, including harassment, at the time of the Instagram post. Following the publication, which was visible to the public, a concerned individual alerted law enforcement, leading to Chettiar’s arrest.
During police questioning, he expressed his desire to stab the judge overseeing his case, further compounding his legal issues.
In court, Deputy Public Prosecutors Kevin Yong and Shaun Lim highlighted Chettiar’s previous claims of suffering from mental disorders, though assessments by the Institute of Mental Health found his complaints to be unsubstantiated after two evaluations.
In response to the threats made against President Halimah, District Judge Lorraine Ho imposed strict bail conditions. These included the deletion of all social media posts and applications from his electronic devices, as well as a prohibition on logging into any social media accounts or making any posts or comments.
Despite these conditions, Chettiar’s behaviour deteriorated. On February 28, 2024, he submitted a demand through the State Courts website, indicating his intention not to attend an upcoming trial scheduled for March 5 to 7. After receiving a warning from court staff to comply, Chettiar responded with a threatening email directed at Judge Ho.
This incident prompted the State Courts to file a police report, resulting in the trial being vacated due to Chettiar’s claims of illness. A week later, he called the police hotline, reiterating threats against the judge, which led to further police involvement.
On March 18, 2024, Chettiar attempted to bolster his defence against a bail revocation application by filing a police report, falsely claiming that his email account had been compromised. Despite his efforts, the prosecution was able to demonstrate that he had reoffended, prompting a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest when he failed to attend a subsequent hearing on March 22.
Chettiar was ultimately arrested on April 5, 2024, and has been in remand since appearing in court the following day.
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