Ong Lam Wah, 54 years old, made an explosive device which exploded in his neighbour’s flat and was found guilty on 22 June.
According to The Straits Times, Ong was interested in bombs and air guns and taught himself how to make matchstick explosive devices through videos online.
Thought it would be “fun”
He thought it would be fun to create explosion sounds by taping match heads together with striking strips, which creates a small explosion when the box hits a surface and the match heads ignite.
Ong was reportedly looking for a “cheap way” to make a device with loud explosion sounds and chose to use matchsticks.
He then flicked the handmade devices off the window ledge of his Sengkang HDB flat on the 16th floor.
He admitted in court to having done this on 2 prior occasions in June and July 2019, and that he had no idea where his DIY devices landed, according to TODAY.
He had flicked them off his window at night so that he wouldn’t be caught by others in the act.
Exploded in neighbour’s home
Ong’s device then landed inside his neighbour, Mr Muhamad Yazin Hadi’s 6th floor home on 14 August 2019.
He was Yazin was performing his prayers at the time when the explosion interrupted him, and he experienced a ringing in his ear for minutes and smelled what he thought was gunpowder.
He then found a green box on the floor, as well as some black marks on his floor, and saw white smoke, and he then called the police.
The police then combed the area and check for CCTV footage of the incident, eventually identifying Ong as the culprit.
Threatened to bomb Sengkang General Hospital
He had confessed when the police interviewed him as he had previously threatened to bomb Sengkang General Hospital.
He had threatened to bomb the hospital because he was upset at a nurse for allegedly providing conflicting accounts of the death of his late wife.
He then told a medical social worker that he wanted to bomb the hospital.