Lawyer Said Teen Who Did Backflip in Rhino Enclosure Comes ‘From a Good Family’ So They Can Supervise Him

By
Boon Hun
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Reformative training is a more serious version of probationary training where an individual will have to be held at a facility to undergo rehabilitation.

And that is the fate that the “rhino enclosure” teenager might be facing in the near future.

What Happened

Today (25 Nov 2021), 19-year-old Ralph Wee Yi Kai pleaded guilty to eight different charges of mischief.

His offences include:

  • Jumping into the rhino enclosure at the Singapore Zoo and doing a backflip for TikTok
  • Killing a frog on the foosball table
  • Smoking weed in his bedroom
  • Damaging an information panel at a bus stop, resulting in S$900 worth of damage, paid by the Land Transport Authority
  • Hit the side mirror of a Mercedes Benz parked in the area, causing S$2,800 worth of damage paid by the car owner
  • Standing in the middle of the road with a beer bottle

Some of the offences were committed when he was out on bail, and he had to be arrested for quite a few notable ones.

This includes not turning up for court hearings because he couldn’t wake up and not turning up for compulsory urine tests.

He also cut an e-tag to go to a friend’s home, and his worried father called the police after he wasn’t able to find him at home.

Prosecution Pushes For Reformative Training

The prosecutor in charge of the case strongly pushed for reformative training.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Lee also strongly objected to the call for a probation suitability report.

The fact that he re-offended while on bail, she said, showed a “proclivity to crime” as well as his blatant disregard for the law.

It also shows his lack of remorse, she added.

Wee has “a tendency to consume alcohol and drugs”, leading him to be “aggressive towards his parents”.

It’s because he “poses a risk” to his parents that he was placed into IMH.

This shows a need for a structured environment within the reformative training centre as it is clear Wee is beyond the control of his parents despite his age.

Lawyer Said Teen Who Did Backflip in Rhino Enclosure Comes ‘From a Good Family’ So They Can Supervise Him

Wee’s lawyer, Lawyer Shashi Nathan from Withers KhattarWong, had a different argument.

He claims that at the time of the offences, Wee was going through a “severe emotional crisis”.

His breakup with his ex-girlfriend, who took the infamous viral video, caused Wee to spiral, resulting in a spate of offences.

The attention on Wee’s case also affected his family members, the lawyer said, and the reveal of his home address has caused the family a lot of trouble.

“While Ralph understands that what he did was wrong, he never expected it to come to this.”

He went on to say that Wee comes from a good family who “are able to take care of him” and give him the supervision he needs.

Sentencing In December

After hearing the case, the judge called for both a reformative training suitability report and a probation suitability report.

Wee’s sentencing will be adjourned to December.

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Feature Image: Twitter (@Pengkritique); Instagram (thetwainhavemet)

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Boon Hun
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