A 17-year-old Singaporean who trespassed onto MRT train tracks and later climbed an HDB block in separate dangerous incidents was ordered by a district court on Tuesday (Jan 6) to undergo 18 months of probation, after the judge decided to give him a second chance due to his young age.
The teenager, who cannot be named under the law because he is under 18, was also ordered to perform 80 hours of community service, attend psychiatric or psychological assessments and treatment, and comply with medication if required. His parents furnished a S$5,000 bond to ensure his good behaviour during the probation period.
According to Channel News Asia, the court heard that the youth pleaded guilty in November to one charge under the Rapid Transit Systems Act for wilfully endangering safety and one charge of criminal trespass.
Two additional charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Series Of Events :
January 2025
- The teenager noticed two scaffolding structures along Upper Changi Road that provided access to the MRT train tracks.
27 March 2025
- After waiting for workers to leave the area, he trespassed through a gap in a fence and entered the MRT tracks between Simei and Tanah Merah MRT stations. He remained on the tracks for up to 10 minutes, filmed a passing train, and watched four to six trains pass by. The videos were later uploaded to Instagram.
April 2025
- One of the Instagram videos was reposted by another account and went viral. SMRT lodged a police report after spotting the footage.
16 May 2025
- Feeling an “urge to climb”, the teen left his home dressed at 11 pm only in underwear and shoes. From the 16th floor of an HDB block, he attempted to climb to the rooftop. A resident spotted him on the parapet ledge and called the police. The same night he teen climbed onto the rooftop, where he listened to music and made video calls.
- After hearing police officers calling out to him, he climbed down using ledges and laundry racks. He entered a flat on the eighth floor through an open window and hid under the bed of an 86-year-old woman. He surrendered to police about 30 minutes later.
November 2025
- The teen pleaded guilty to one charge of wilfully endangering safety under the Rapid Transit Systems Act and one charge of criminal trespass. Two other charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
6 January 2026
- The District Court sentenced the teen to 18 months’ probation, 80 hours of community service, mandatory psychiatric or psychological treatment, and compliance with medication if required. His parents furnished a S$5,000 bond. District Judge Kessler Soh warned the teen against repeating such risky behaviour.
MRT Track Trespass Incident
Investigations revealed that in January 2025, the teen noticed two scaffolding structures leading onto the MRT tracks along Upper Changi Road. On Mar 27, he waited for workers to leave before entering the restricted area through a gap in a fence.
He then walked along the train tracks between Simei and Tanah Merah MRT stations, remaining there for up to 10 minutes while four to six trains passed by. During this time, he filmed a train from a first-person perspective.
The teen later posted the videos on Instagram, where one was reposted by a popular account singapura.legends and went viral.
SMRT lodged a police report after spotting the footage, triggering investigations.
HDB Block-Climbing Incident
Police investigations later uncovered a second incident in May 2025, involving the teenager climbing a Housing Board block.
On May 16 at about 11pm, the teen left his home feeling an “urge to climb”, dressed only in underwear and shoes. From the 16th floor, he attempted to climb to the rooftop.
A resident who heard noises saw the teen leaning on a parapet ledge and called the police. Despite officers shouting for him to stop, the teen climbed onto the rooftop, where he listened to music and made video calls.
When he noticed police and bystanders below, he climbed down several floors using ledges and laundry racks, before entering a flat on the eighth floor through an open window to evade arrest.
Inside the flat, an 86-year-old woman was sleeping and was unaware that the teen was hiding under her bed. The teenager surrendered to the police half an hour later.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
The prosecution told the court that the teen was suitable for both probation and reformative training, but highlighted reports showing his propensity for thrill-seeking and a moderate risk of reoffending.
At the same time, the prosecutor stressed that the MRT track trespass was “clearly premeditated” and endangered both commuters and the offender.
Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya of Regent Law argued for probation, describing the acts as a “lapse in judgment”. He said the teen lived with his parents, who run a hawker stall, and that his father has a history of mental illness.
The lawyer also said the teen experienced developmental delays, had a short attention span, and showed “slightly autistic traits” in early childhood.
Since the incidents, the teen has turned to rock climbing, hiking, and volunteering as a dog trainer, seeking safer outlets for his adventurous tendencies.
District Judge Kessler Soh said the offences were very serious and would ordinarily warrant jail or reformative training.
However, he added that he took into account the teen’s “very young age” and was prepared to give him another chance.
“I hope this is something you will remember, and you will learn and you will not engage in these risky behaviours again,” the judge told the teen.
Addressing the parents, Judge Soh said:
“You need to keep a close eye on him.”
Penalties Under Singapore law:
Criminal trespass carries a maximum penalty of three months’ jail, a S$1,500 fine, or both.
Wilfully endangering safety on railway tracks carries a maximum penalty of five years’ jail, a S$10,000 fine, or both.
Image via Instagram
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