A 62-year-old man set fire to his neighbour’s flat. You must be wondering what could have driven him to such an extreme action. Perhaps a heated dispute?
Well, he claimed that the reason behind his actions was because the neighbour talked too loudly and disturbed his peace.
His action is undoubtedly bizarre, as most people, when faced with noisy neighbours, would simply close their doors.
But alas, here’s what happened.
How he Started the Fire
According to Shin Min Daily News, this incident happened around 7:30pm on 24 March 2023 at Blk 149 Toa Payoh Lorong 1.
The neighbours in question was a family of five: a 32-year-old woman, her husband and their three children aged nine, seven and five. The family suddenly detected a strong burning smell from outside their house.
In response, the woman decided to investigate the source of the smell and opened her door. To her surprise, she found her neighbour, Tee Gee Chuan, standing outside her unit, holding some papers and a lighter.
She told him to leave and promptly closed her door.
Unfortunately, Tee refused to comply and instead, set fire to the papers before tossing it at their window area.
Alarmed by the smell of smoke, the woman opened her door once more and discovered her window was now on fire. To make matters even more frightening, Tee was standing near her door, brandishing a 28-inch knife.
The family immediately evacuated their home and contacted the police.
The Man’s Arrest and Charges Faced
Subsequently, the police managed to locate Tee at a coffee shop at Block 177 Toa Payoh Lorong 1. Tee was not inclined to be apprehended without putting up a fight.
Upon spotting the police, he drew a knife and aggressively advanced towards them. To prevent being attacked, the police had to use a taser on him.
Even after being tasered, Tee continued to resist the arrest while on the ground.
During their search of his possessions, the police discovered a hammer, paint thinner, newspapers, and a Swiss Army knife.
Tee faced seven charges and pleaded guilty to four of them on 16 January 2024. These charges include mischief by fire, using criminal force to obstruct civil servants from performing their duties, and possessing a dangerous weapon in public.
The prosecution disclosed that Tee had a history of setting fire and had previously been incarcerated for seven months in 2021 for displaying a knife in public.
Given these circumstances, the prosecution sought a sentence of 19 months in jail for Tee.
Arsonist Tendency in Another Neighbour
Surprisingly, the impulse to set fire to a neighbor’s house is not as uncommon as one might think.
In April 2023, another individual reportedly contemplated burning down the house of his upstairs neighbor, claiming that they were noisy and had consistently disrupted his sleep for over five years.
He had made repeated reports to the police and town council, as well as voiced his grievances to his neighbor, but the problem persisted.
On 10 December 2022 at 11:31pm, he called the police claiming that his neighbour was making loud noises by hitting the floor continuously.
However, when the police arrived, they informed him that no one answered the door, and they could not hear such sounds from the house.
Frustrated and desperate for a resolution, the man threatened to burn his neighbor’s house down if the issue remained unresolved. The police sternly warned him against taking such drastic actions.
He was eventually fined $1,000 due to mischief and harassment.
All that to say, be considerate neighbours and avoid making too much noise as an arsonist may very well be living among us.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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