Man Wanted to Burn Upstairs Neighbour for Making Noises, But It Was Apparently Empty

A 58-year-old man got so irritated at the noise made by his upstairs neighbour that he did the unthinkable: he threatened to burn down his neighbour’s house.

But it appears to be empty.

Here’s what happened.

Man Wanted to Burn Upstairs Neighbour for Making Noises, But It Was Apparently Empty

According to Shin Min Daily News, the 58-year-old man, Huang Jin Shun (translated from Mandarin), has complained about his upstairs neighbour making noise that disturbed his sleep for the past five years.

Despite making multiple reports to the police, the problem was not resolved.

This happened on Block 633A, Senja Road, which is at Bukit Panjang.

Huang claimed to have complained to his neighbour, the town council, and the police, but no action was taken to resolve the issue.

On 10 December 2022, at 11:31 pm, Huang  called the police to report his neighbour for making loud noises by hitting the floor continuously.

Eight minutes later, he called the police again, threatening to confront the neighbour himself if the police did not arrive soon.

Two police officers arrived at Huang’s home and after his complaint, they went to the neighbour’s flat.

However, no one answered the door, and no sound was heard from inside. The police returned to Huang’s home and informed him of their findings. However, Huang was dissatisfied and threatened to burn down the neighbor’s house if the police did not solve the problem.

The police warned him not to do so.

As the officers were about to leave, they noticed that Huang was pouring thinner and paint into a plastic container.

When asked what he was doing, Huang said he was going to burn down his neighbor’s house. The officers warned him again, and Huang eventually put the container away in his home.

He has since been charged with mischief and harassment and has been fined $1,000.

So, could Huang be imagining the sounds, or had the neighbours refused to answer the officers’ knocks?

Water Hammers

It’s possible that Huang could have heard water hammers instead.

Water hammer is an issue that can arise in any pipe system that uses valves to manage the flow of liquids or steam. It’s a side-effect of fluid motion that can cause a pressure surge, or high-pressure shockwave, to travel through the pipes when the liquid is suddenly forced to change direction or come to an abrupt stop.

It’s common to hear sounds of water hammer in a flat, especially at night when it’s quiet.

You can watch this video we’ve done to know more about it: