A 58-year-old unemployed man who broke into a Geylang apartment and concealed himself beneath a tenant’s bed has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after threatening the resident with a pen knife and scissors.
Vincent Tony pleaded guilty on Aug. 26 to one charge of criminal intimidation and two charges involving controlled drugs. He was sentenced to two years, six months and three weeks’ imprisonment.
Shin Min Daily News reported that The incident happened on Jan. 8, 2026, when Tony entered an unlocked apartment at Lorong 16 Geylang and went into the bedroom of a 27-year-old Vietnamese tenant.
Tenant found stranger hiding under his bed
According to court documents, the tenant returned home at around 7:20pm and noticed that his bedroom door was partially open and obstructed by a table.
Upon entering, he saw that the room appeared disorganised. He began taking photographs to send to his roommate, hoping to determine whether the roommate had moved or disturbed anything.
He then made the alarming discovery that Tony was hiding underneath his bed.
The tenant immediately left the bedroom and contacted a colleague for assistance. By the time the colleague arrived, Tony had emerged from his hiding place and was attempting to leave the apartment.
Man threatened tenant with pen knife and scissors
The tenant managed to shut the door to prevent Tony from escaping. Tony then swung a pen knife at him and threatened to hurt him when the tenant refused to open the door.
The colleague intervened and managed to take the pen knife away from Tony.
Tony then produced a pair of scissors from his bag and pointed them at the tenant, again making threats. The tenant and his colleague eventually worked together to disarm and restrain him.
Police officers arrived after receiving a report and arrested Tony at the scene.
Controlled drugs found in his possession
During the arrest, Tony was found carrying Class A controlled drugs, including methamphetamine and diamorphine.
Court documents stated that one packet contained at least 4.41g of a crystalline substance. Laboratory analysis found it contained at least 2.97g of methamphetamine.
He also had two packets containing at least 8.14g of a granular or powdery substance. These were analysed and found to contain at least 0.18g of diamorphine.
Tony reportedly admitted that the controlled drugs were intended for his own consumption.
Police also found items believed to be intended for consuming controlled drugs, including a piece of aluminium foil and an improvised green bong fitted with two tubes.
Tenant remains shaken months after incident
The tenant told Shin Min Daily News that the incident continued to affect him more than six months later.
He recalled returning home to find his belongings disturbed and said he was frightened when he discovered Tony under his bed. He also said Tony had touched bottles and jars belonging to the occupants.
The tenant reportedly saw Tony move towards a window during the confrontation, apparently considering an escape route. However, Tony abandoned the attempt after realising that the apartment was on the third floor.
Having worked in Singapore for five years, the tenant said he had never expected to encounter such an incident and had previously considered the country a safe place to live.
The apartment’s occupants reportedly did not suffer any material losses from the break-in. However, the experience prompted them to change their habits, with the tenant and his roommate intending to keep their bedroom door locked in future.
Tony’s sentence of two years, six months and three weeks covers the offences to which he pleaded guilty.