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            <title>Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world</title>
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            <link>https://mothership.sg</link>
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                    <title>KKH valet attendant accused of 'aggressively soliciting' for tips, hospital says tipping optional</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/kkh-valet-solicit/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T18:33:34</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Chloe Loh ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/kkh-valet-solicit/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ "This is not merely an awkward interaction; it is unprofessional, coercive, and unacceptable," the individual wrote. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/cover-pic-1-5.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A valet attendant at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) along Bukit Timah Road has been accused of repeatedly soliciting tips from a driver, who said he did not have any cash.</p><p><h2>"Aggressively solicited" for a tip</h2></p>
<p>In an anonymous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/348293689060800/permalink/2141137459776405/?rdid=wrK8DQ7jXbm44eCj#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">post</a> on the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, the individual claimed that during a recent visit to the hospital, he was "aggressively solicited" for a tip by a valet attendant.</p><p>According to the post, the attendant had asked him for a tip three times.</p><p>Even after the driver told the attendant that he did not have any cash on hand, the attendant allegedly continued to persist in asking for money.</p><p>"This is not merely an awkward interaction; it is unprofessional, coercive, and unacceptable," the individual wrote in the post.</p><p>A quick check on KKH's <a href="https://www.kkh.com.sg/patient-services/visitor-info/getting-to-kkh/Parking-Information" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a> showed that its valet parking service is free for patients and visitors.</p><p>Users are only required to pay the prevailing parking charges.</p><p>The parking charges listed on KKH's website are as follows:</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 1220px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-09-at-5.46.40 PM.png" alt="kkh valet" width="1220" height="1032" class="size-full wp-image-1158057" /> Parking charges at KKH. Screenshot from KKH's website.
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p><h2>Tipping is entirely discretionary: KKH</h2></p><p>In response to <em>Mothership</em>'s queries, the director of Operational Support Services at KKH, Michael Ng, said the hospital was aware of the incident involving its valet service.</p><p>"We understand that a recent experience with our valet service has fallen short of the standards we aim to provide, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused," he said.</p><p>Ng added that the valet service is provided as a convenience for patients and visitors, with standard car park charges applicable.</p><p>He also stressed that tipping is entirely discretionary and that valet attendants are prohibited from soliciting tips.</p><p>"We take all feedback seriously and have promptly reinforced service guidelines with the service provider to reiterate clear instructions to all staff," he said.</p><p><blockquote><p>"KKH is committed to service excellence, ensuring that every interaction reflects the care and professionalism the hospital is known for."</p></blockquote></p></p> ]]>
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                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1158049</post-id>
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                    <title>S’porean man, 31, made boy, 6, stay in push-up position for 18 hours, starved & forced him to drink own urine</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/boy-abused-starved-forced-drink-urine/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T18:13:54</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Khine Zin Htet ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/boy-abused-starved-forced-drink-urine/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ He also abused two other boys. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/Article-Cover-Pic-2000-x-1050-2026-07-09T174429.142.jpg"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p><div style="padding: 12px; background-color: #d9d9d9; line-height: 1.4;"><em><strong>Trigger warning: The following content contains graphic descriptions of child abuse. </strong></em></div></p><p>A Singaporean man, who was supposed to teach mathematics and English to children, punched and beat them with a clothes hanger, and starved them as well.</p>
<p>He even forced a boy to drink his own urine.</p><p>The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and one count of providing false or misleading information to the Ministry of Manpower on Jul. 9.</p><p>He cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the identities of the victims.</p><p><h2>Worked in educational facility</h2></p><p>The man was hired to work as a manager in 2016 at his aunt's educational facility, despite not having any teaching or childcare qualifications, according to court documents seen by <em>Mothership</em>.</p><p>The facility provided accommodation for students and workers, as well as management consultancy services for foreign students.</p><p>His responsibilities included taking care of students residing at a particular unit, teaching the primary-school-aged students mathematics and English and checking on their school homework.</p><p><h2>Abused the pupils</h2></p><p>Court documents showed that the man's victims were three boys from China, aged 11, 10, and six.</p><p>All three boys were hit by the man at one point and made to go up into a push-up position.</p><p>Prosecutors said he would punish the six-year-old frequently after the boy moved into the facility in January 2023.</p><p>Besides requiring that the boy hold a push-up position, he would also force him to sleep in the toilet and only provide him with bread and water instead of proper meals.</p><p>The man also hit the boy with a hanger numerous times on the buttocks and later took videos of the injuries.</p><p><h2>18 hours of abuse</h2></p><p>On Mar. 9, 2023, the man had made the six-year-old boy hold a push-up position while studying English at about 3:45pm.</p><p>This continued until about 5pm when the boy cried out that he was hungry, prosecutors said.</p><p>However, the man mocked the victim and did not release him from the push-up position.</p><p>He deliberately did not allow the boy to eat even as other students ate their dinner.</p><p>The boy was instead forced to hold the push-up position until the next morning.</p><p>At about 1:15am on Mar. 10, the man punched the boy and stomped on him while he was in that position.</p><p>He would then periodically hit him from 2am to 7:05am with a hanger.</p><p>At one point, the man placed a chair on the boy and sat on it, forcing the boy to lower his body in the push-up position.</p><p>He also made the boy urinate in a basin instead of using the toilet, and drink his own urine when he was thirsty.</p><p><h2>Child was too weak to stand</h2></p><p>At around 6am on Mar. 10, he called the boy’s father to seek permission to discipline him, which the father allowed.</p><p>However, he did not mention that he would use physical punishment, nor did he tell the father about what he had already inflicted on the boy.</p><p>The abuse continued until the night, with the man hitting and stomping on the boy at one point.</p><p>By 6:05pm, the boy was weak and unable to walk on his own, court documents said.</p><p>The man then carried him to the toilet, sprayed him with water, and asked him to wake up.</p><p>The aunt arrived at the unit at about 7:03pm and saw the state that the boy was in. She told the man to stop physically punishing the boy, but he did not listen.</p><p>He only stopped after the aunt carried the boy out of the toilet and away from him.</p><p>While the aunt had wanted to send the boy to the hospital immediately for medical attention, the man dissuaded her as he was "very scared and worried" that he would be arrested by the police.</p><p>Prosecutors said the man physically abused the boy for about 18 hours — including hitting him not less than 620 times on various parts of the body and stomping on him not less than 45 times on his back and buttocks.</p><p>During this time, the man also continued to attend to the students under his care.</p><p><h2>Injuries</h2></p><p>The aunt eventually brought the boy to the hospital on Mar. 14 when he complained of breathing difficulties and was coughing badly.</p><p>He was transferred immediately to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit, where he remained until Mar. 28, 2023.</p><p>The boy was assessed to have lung injury caused by blunt force to his chest, which led to a abnormal buildup of fluids in his lungs.</p><p>He also had kidney failure caused by blunt force to his back, which required nine days of dialysis.</p><p>Other injuries included muscle injury involving muscle breakdown, severe hypertension caused by kidney failure, and multiple rib fractures.</p><p>The hospital reported the boy’s injuries to the police, and the man was arrested that same day on Mar. 14, 2023.</p><p>The man was later released on bail on Mar. 30, 2023.</p><p>The boy was eventually discharged more than a month later on Apr. 28, 2023.</p><p>The man's sentencing is set for Aug. 21, 2026.</p></p> ]]>
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                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1158032</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>Tree falls on car in Ang Mo Kio during heavy rain, passengers shaken but uninjured</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/tree-falls-on-car-lightning-strike/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T18:09:07</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Xueting Wu ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/tree-falls-on-car-lightning-strike/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ The family believes that lightning might have struck the tree, causing it to collapse. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/coverimage-2026-07-09T105014.379.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>On the way home from class, two children were in a relative's car at an intersection when a tall tree across the road suddenly fell on top of their car.</p><p>It happened around 7:45pm on Jul. 8, during a heavy storm near Sembawang Hills Estate, their mother, who was waiting at home at the time, told <em>Mothership</em>.</p>
<p>Her children, aged 10 and 12, recalled seeing flashes of lightning in the sky shortly before hearing a loud thud.</p><p>Given the torrential weather, the mother, who wishes to be known as Ms A, believes the tree collapsed after being struck by lightning.</p><p>Though no one was hurt, the family was shaken by what happened, she said.</p><p><h2>Thought it was a car crash</h2></p><p>Along with the thud, the children and their relative felt the whole car shake.</p><p>"Everyone thought it was a car crash, like someone had banged into them," Ms A said.</p><p>It was only when the relative stepped out to check what had happened that they realised a tree had fallen on the car.</p><p>According to a video taken by the relative, a tall, skinny tree had snapped, and its trunk had fallen across the road onto the roof of the car.</p><p>Although several cars drove past, no one stopped to help them because of the heavy rain.</p><p>That was until a man cycling by stopped and offered to help the relative push the tree trunk off the car.</p><p>It took a while as the tree was very heavy, according to Ms A.</p><p><h2>Tree was removed</h2></p><p>About two hours after the incident, when the rain finally cleared, Ms A's husband drove back to the intersection.</p><p>The fallen tree trunk was no longer there, Ms A said. She believed someone might have removed it.</p><p>As a result of the incident, the car had a pronounced dent on its roof, but she was relieved that her family was not hurt.</p><p>She had to calm her children down once they got home, as they were still fearful, thinking that something worse could have happened to them.</p><p>"I myself am shaken, even though I wasn't in a car, because what are the odds that such a thing can happen?" she told <em>Mothership</em>.</p><p><blockquote><p>"I'm just so thankful that the tree wasn't any heavier, because the car was a small one, and it could have just gotten crushed. The people inside could have gotten crushed."</p></blockquote></p><p>She added that her family has reported the incident to the National Parks Board (NParks).</p><p>Mothership has reached out to <em>NParks</em> for comment.</p></p> ]]>
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                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157867</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>Man, 24, charged for importing Kpods: 2 vapes & 100 pods allegedly found in his car at Woodlands Checkpoint</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/woodlands-checkpoint-kpods/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T16:48:19</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Nadya Pang ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/woodlands-checkpoint-kpods/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ The Kpods were seized from his home after he got caught at the checkpoint. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/kpod.jpg"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has charged a 24-year-old man, Sheikh Omar Bin Mohamed Ismail, in court on Jul. 2, 2026, for the alleged importation of etomidate vaporiser pods, or Kpods.</p><p>According to an HSA press release on Jul. 9, Sheikh was detained by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers while entering Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint on Jun. 30.</p>
<p>ICA officers discovered two vaporisers and 100 vaporiser pods concealed in the car and alerted HSA.</p><p>HSA officers attended the scene and took over investigations.</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 526px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-09-at-3.56.39 PM.png" alt="" width="526" height="419" class=" wp-image-1158012" /> Photo from ICA Singapore
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p><h2>Two other vaporisers seized from home</h2></p><p>Two other vaporisers were seized from his home, and laboratory testing confirmed that the seized pods contained etomidate.</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 347px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-09-at-3.56.55 PM.png" alt="" width="347" height="782" class=" wp-image-1158013" /> Photo from HSA Singapore
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p>Sheikh was remanded for a week to assist with further investigations.</p><p>The case was mentioned again in court on Jul. 9, and has been adjourned to Aug. 18.</p><p>According to the press release, investigations are ongoing.</p><p><h2>Penalties</h2></p><p>Under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 (TVCA), etomidate and other similar substances are listed as specified psychoactive substances.</p><p>If convicted, importers face a sentence of three to 20 years’ imprisonment and five to 15 strokes of the cane.</p><p>Suppliers face a sentence of two to 10 years’ imprisonment and two to five strokes of the cane upon conviction.</p></p> ]]>
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                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157984</post-id>
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                    <title>Night-shift nurse wins S$1,536 claim after HDB landlord sought to restrict daytime aircon use</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/night-shift-nurse-aircon-claim/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T16:44:31</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Chloe Loh ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/night-shift-nurse-aircon-claim/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ Under the agreement, the tenant was allowed to use the air-conditioner for up to eight hours a day, regardless of the time of day. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/cover-pic-14.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A night-shift nurse who rented a room in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat has won a claim against her landlord after a dispute over air-conditioning use escalated into harassment and ultimately led to the early termination of her tenancy.</p><p>According to grounds of decision <a href="https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2026_SGSCT_18" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released</a> on Jul 7, the tribunal ordered the landlord to pay the nurse S$1,536.47, including the return of an S$800 security deposit that had been withheld.</p>
<p><h2>Air-conditioner usage arrangement</h2></p><p>The claimant, a Malaysian national, worked as a nurse at a public hospital in Singapore and was a former tenant of the respondent.</p><p>Although the respondent did not live in the five-room HDB flat, her daughter and son-in-law occupied the master bedroom.</p><p>The remaining two furnished common bedrooms and a study room were rented out to tenants.</p><p>From September 2024, the claimant rented one of the common bedrooms under a one-year tenancy agreement.</p><p>Another Malaysian nurse, who was also her friend, rented the other common bedroom.</p><p>As both nurses worked rotating night shifts, they negotiated an additional term in their tenancy agreements allowing them to use the air-conditioner for up to eight hours a day, regardless of the time of day.</p><p>This meant they were not restricted to using the air-conditioner only at night..</p><p><h2>Landlord's daughter was unhappy with the arrangement</h2></p><p>According to the judgement, the landlord's daughter took issue with two aspects of the tenancy.</p><p>First, she was unhappy that both tenants occasionally brought their boyfriends to their rooms without first obtaining permission from, or providing their particulars to the landlord.</p><p>Second, although each tenant stayed within the agreed daily eight-hour air-conditioning limit, their differing work schedules meant the air-conditioner sometimes ran for up to 16 hours a day.</p><p>For example, one nurse would sleep during the day after completing a night shift (while using the air-con), while the other would use the air-conditioner in the evening after working a regular shift.</p><p>As a result, the arrangement led to higher electricity bills, which the landlord's daughter paid, and she became increasingly upset.</p><p>She also frequently shouted at the tenants in common areas and disrupted their rest by switching off the air-conditioner's main power supply while they were sleeping after overnight shifts.</p><p><h2>Tipping point</h2></p><p>The dispute came to a head on Nov. 1, 2024, during a heated discussion between the two tenants and the landlord's daughter.</p><p>According to the judgment, the daughter gave the nurses three options: Increase their monthly rent from S$800 to S$1,000 while continuing to use the air-conditioner during the day; continue paying S$800 but limit air-conditioning use to between 11pm and 7am; or move out.</p><p>She also warned that if they did not make a decision, she would harass them daily till they did.</p><p>The two nurses subsequently informed the landlord that they would vacate the flat by the end of November 2024.</p><p>After they moved out, the landlord withheld both their S$800 security deposits, prompting each of them to file separate claims in the Small Claims Tribunal.</p><p><h2>Earlier claim by other tenant</h2></p><p>The claimant's friend had succeeded in an earlier claim to recover her deposit.</p><p>In that case, the landlord counterclaimed for an additional S$299 on top of the S$800 security deposit, alleging that the claimant's friend had damaged a bedframe.</p><p>She alleged that the the claimant's friend was "very big and heavy and plump", estimating that she weighed about 150kg.</p><p>However, the magistrate rejected the claim, calling the landlord's description and estimate of the tenant's weight "grossly inaccurate".</p><p><h2>Landlord absent from hearings</h2></p><p>In the present case, both parties represented themselves.</p><p>The landlord failed to attend the first hearing in August 2025, claiming she had fractured her leg.</p><p>Although the medical certificate she submitted did not satisfy court requirements, the magistrate adjourned the hearing to give her another opportunity to attend.</p><p>However, she failed to appear again on Sep. 30, 2025.</p><p>After hearing evidence from the claimant and her witness, the tribunal ruled in the claimant's favour.</p><p>A week later, the landlord applied to have the judgment set aside — she claimed she had suffered broken bones and was unable to walk.</p><p>She also sought permission to attend the hearing via Zoom, but failed.</p><p>The magistrate had rejected those arguments after finding that the landlord had known about the hearing date, adding that she had repeatedly been informed of the type of medical certificate required to excuse her attendance yet failed to produce one.</p><p>He also found that she was physically capable of participating in the proceedings.</p><p>“It was more likely than not that she was physically able to attend the trial... but chose not to."</p><p>“The irresistible inference was that the respondent was selective in her attendance of judicial proceedings – present when it suited her, and absent when it did not," he wrote.</p><p>The magistrate also dismissed the landlord’s explanation that she did not know how to ask her doctor for a certificate excusing her from attending court.</p><p>The landlord had told the tribunal: “Every time I do not know how to tell the doctor this. It is just an MC issued by a doctor and I don’t know how to say that I was unable to walk. I don’t know how to tell the doctor that I was required to attend court proceedings. I don’t know everything."</p><p>The explanation is self-contradictory, said the magistrate, saying that it "[rang] hollow" and further noting that the landlord had been able to explain exactly those points during the hearing.</p><p>"If she could articulate those very things before the tribunal, there was no reason why she could not have said the same to her doctor."</p><p><h2>Found no reason for landlord to withhold security deposit</h2></p><p>The magistrate ultimately found that none of the landlord's reasons justified withholding the security deposit.</p><p>The landlord had alleged that the claimant improperly brought her boyfriend to the room and had committed immoral acts "by engaging in private activities, e,g. [sic] sexual intimacy, behind closed doors with an [sic] young male visitor".</p><p>She also claimed the claimant had exceeded her agreed air-conditioning usage and had terminated the tenancy prematurely.</p><p>However, the magistrate found there was no contractual requirement for the tenant to obtain permission before having visitors, and no evidence that she exceeded the agreed daily air-conditioning limit.</p><p>There was also no clause allowing the landlord to forfeit the security deposit because the tenancy ended early.</p><p>He also rejected the landlord’s argument that increased electricity bills entitled her to keep the deposit.</p><p>"The respondent bore the risk of any fluctuation in the bills as part of the fixed monthly rent of S$800. That was the bargain she struck – and it cut both ways," he wrote.</p><p><blockquote><p>“If electricity usage or prices fell and the bills decreased, the respondent would have been the beneficiary. She could not therefore look to the security deposit when the arrangement did not suit her."</p></blockquote></p><p>In dismissing the landlord's application to set aside the judgment, the magistrate said the tribunal should be "most reluctant" to do so where a party had deliberately chosen not to attend court.</p><p>He added that requiring the claimant and her witness to testify all over again would not be fair, especially since the claim concerned a relatively modest sum and the need for a retrial arose solely due to the landlord’s deliberate absence.</p><p>The magistrate also described the landlord as having an "airy disregard" for the trial dates that were scheduled and that her attitude was "marked by a conspicuous lack of respect for the judicial process".</p></p> ]]>
                    </content:encoded>
                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157975</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>Multi-Generation HDB flat in Bishan with dual-key layout listed for S$1.59 million</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/bishan-multi-generation-hdb-flat-dual-key/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T16:23:54</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Nadya Pang ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/bishan-multi-generation-hdb-flat-dual-key/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ Based on its listing description, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was built in 1987. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/blk-137.jpg"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A Multi-Generation (MG) flat spanning 1,776 square feet at Bishan Green has been listed at <a href="https://www.99.co/singapore/sale/property/137-bishan-street-12-hdb-6icDYBzN2RojEHQQ4m9rMR" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">S$1.59 million</a> or S$894.64 per square foot.</p><p>For context, the average four-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat has a floor area of 958 to 1,012 square feet, according to <a href="https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/analysis-increasing-appeal-four-room-hdb-flats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>EdgeProp</em></a>.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC21Q9-BI1U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube video</a> by realtors Christine Tan Min Chin and Jason Lee, the mid-floor flat is located at 137 Bishan Street 12.</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/19.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="525" class="size-full wp-image-1157993" /> Entrance Foyer. Photo from Christine Tan Min Chin/YouTube
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p><h2>Flat layout</h2></p><p>Based on its listing description, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was built in 1987.</p><p>It comprises a three-bedroom main unit and a separate 1-bedroom studio space, with each section having its own living facilities, including separate kitchens and living rooms.</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/13.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="525" class="wp-image-1157995 size-full" /> Main unit living room. Photo from Christine Tan Min Chin/YouTube
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/14.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="525" class="size-full wp-image-1157997" /> Main unit living room. Photo from Christine Tan Min Chin/YouTube
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/15.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="525" class="size-full wp-image-1157996" /> Studio unit living room. Photo from Christine Tan Min Chin/YouTube
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p>Based on listing details, the home's main unit and studio unit are approximately 1,244 and 507 square feet respectively.</p><p><h2>What is an MG HDB and a dual-key layout?</h2></p><p>According to its listing details, there are around 495 MG flats, with only 93 located in Bishan.</p><p>MG flats share one address but consist of two units, a studio and a main unit, each with a separate living zone.</p><p>The dual-key layout refers to how the units, which share an entrance foyer, have separate front doors.</p><p><figure id="attachment" aria-describedby="caption-attachment" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
  <figcaption id="caption-attachment-468423" class="wp-caption-text">
    <img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/flat.gif" alt="" width="750" height="500" class="size-full wp-image-1157998" /> Video from Christine Tan Min Chin/YouTube
  </figcaption>
</figure>
</p><p>HDB announced the introduction of MG flats in their <a href="https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/book-detail?cmsuuid=d16b84a0-1deb-4d5a-867e-2307ef6e0c76" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1986/87 annual report</a>.</p><p>The report said that the flat type would "help sustain the Asian tradition of extended family living. In these flats, two entrances provide some measure of independence between the old and the young".</p><p>However, in 1987, <a href="https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19871230-1.2.52" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Straits Times</em></a> reported that these units had poor demand, resulting in HDB suspending production.</p></p> ]]>
                    </content:encoded>
                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157900</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>S'pore man, 43, collides with motorcycle while drunk, flees nearly 10km, gets 4 months, 4 weeks & 12 days' jail</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/drink-driving-flee-10km/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T16:19:44</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Chloe Loh ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/drink-driving-flee-10km/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ He also had his driving licence suspended for five years. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/cover-pic-1-4.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A 43-year-old man in Singapore was sentenced to four months, four weeks and 12 days' jail for driving under the influence of alcohol, fleeing nearly 10km following a collision with a motorcycle, and injuring two people during his escape.</p><p>He also had his driving licence suspended for five years.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260708-9332817" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Lianhe Zaobao</em></a>, the offender, Xie Junliang (transliteration), faced a total of five charges, including drink driving, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident.</p><p>He pleaded guilty to four charges, with the remaining charge taken into consideration during sentencing.</p><p><h2>The case</h2></p><p>Citing court documents, <em>Zaobao</em> reported that Xie had been drinking with colleagues near Merchant Road at about 6.30pm on Oct. 25, 2024, and had consumed at least three beers.</p><p>He later drove home to Tampines between 9pm and 10pm.</p><p>While travelling along Simei Road towards Tampines Avenue 5, Xie rear-ended a motorcycle that was stationary at a red light at an intersection, scratching its exhaust pipe.</p><p>The female motorcyclist then asked him to get out of the vehicle.</p><p>Instead of getting off, Xie reversed against the flow of traffic and drove away.</p><p>The female motorcyclist immediately called the police before pursuing Xie on her motorcycle.</p><p>Witnessing the incident, other motorcyclists also sounded their horns and signalled for Xie to stop.</p><p>In an attempt to flee, Xie drove about 9.5km from Simei Road through Upper Changi Road and the Tampines area.</p><p>Over the course of the roughly 20-minute pursuit, he repeatedly drove dangerously by reversing against traffic, speeding, making an illegal U-turn and mounting a road kerb.</p><p>At one point, the female motorcyclist and another woman attempted to stop his vehicle, but Xie continued driving and struck both women on their right legs.</p><p>Dashcam footage from Xie's vehicle showed him listening to music and humming after the collision, although his speech was slurred.</p><p>The pursuit ended when three motorcyclists surrounded Xie's vehicle and directed him to stop near a bus stop along Tampines Street 84.</p><p><h2>Arrest and sentenced</h2></p><p>According to <em>Zaobao</em>, when police officers arrived, they detected a strong smell of alcohol on Xie.</p><p>A breathalyser test showed that he had 79 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, more than twice Singapore's legal limit of 35 micrograms.</p><p>The female passerby sought medical treatment for her right leg injury, and Xie later reimbursed her about S$81 in medical expenses.</p><p>The female motorcyclist did not seek medical treatment.</p><p>The prosecution argued that Xie's conduct was highly irresponsible, saying that he not only drove while intoxicated, but also fled after the initial collision and repeatedly endangered other road users during his attempt to escape.</p><p>It sought a jail term of between eight and 10-and-a-half months, along with a driving disqualification of between 60 and 72 months.</p><p>In mitigation, Xie's lawyer said his client was his family's sole breadwinner and that a lengthy custodial sentence could jeopardise his construction business.</p><p>The defence also noted that no one suffered serious injuries and said Xie had expressed remorse, urging the court to impose a lighter sentence.</p></p> ]]>
                    </content:encoded>
                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157805</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>16 SIA & Scoot flights to & from S'pore cancelled due to Super Typhoon Bavi approaching Taiwan</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/singapore-airlines-scoot-flights-cancelled-typhoon-bavi/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T15:48:38</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Xueting Wu ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/singapore-airlines-scoot-flights-cancelled-typhoon-bavi/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ Affected customers can choose to either rebook their flights or a request for a full refund. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/coverimage-2026-07-09T150745.442.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A total of 16 flights by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot departing, arriving, or transiting at Taipei have been cancelled due to Super Typhoon Bavi.</p><p>The typhoon churned southeast of Taiwan on Jul. 9, with winds close to 200kph, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/typhoon-bavi-churns-towards-taiwan-china-braces-landfall-2026-07-09/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a> reported.</p>
<p>It is forecast to affect the island most severely the following two days, according to <a href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/09/2003860478" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Taipei Times</em></a>.</p><p><h2>Flights affected</h2></p><p>Midnight on Jul. 9, SIA <a href="https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/corporate/newsroom/newsalert-listing/advisory-on-singapore-airlines-flights-affected-by-super-typhoon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> on their website that four flights scheduled for Jul. 11 have been cancelled.</p><p>They are SQ876 and SQ878, from Singapore to Taipei, and SQ877 and SQ879, from Taipei to Singapore.</p><p>Two flights scheduled for Jul. 10 — SQ878 from Singapore to Taipei, and SQ879 from Taipei to Singapore — have been postponed to depart a few hours later that same day.</p><p>SIA added that other flights may be affected "as the situation remains fluid", and advised customers to check their <a href="https://www.singaporeair.com/flight-status" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flight status</a> online.</p><p>The airline's budget arm Scoot also put up an <a href="https://www.flyscoot.com/en/advisory/advisory-on-scoot-flights-affected-by-typhoon-bavi" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advisory</a> on Jul. 8 to state that four flights operating on Jul. 10 and eight on Jul. 11 have been cancelled.</p><p>All the flights have a stopover in Taipei between Singapore and Tokyo, or Singapore and Seoul.</p><p>Scoot explained that the flights were cancelled as a precautionary measure "due to the adverse weather conditions caused by Super Typhoon Bavi".</p><p>"We will continue to monitor the situation with Typhoon Bavi and adjust our flight schedules as necessary," it added.</p><p><h2>Rebook or refund</h2></p><p>Both airlines apologised and said they will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the flight cancellations or schedule changes.</p><p>They can choose to either rebook their flights or a request for a full refund.</p><p>Those who booked the flights through travel agents or partner airlines can contact their travel agent or purchasing airline directly for assistance.</p><p><h2>Super Typhoon Bavi</h2></p><p>Bavi is set to be the largest ⁠storm by size to hit Taiwan since 1987, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration told <em>Reuters</em>.</p><p>He added that storms of this size have been "fairly rare in recent years".</p><p>The typhoon is projected to skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in Fujian, China, in the evening of Jul. 11, according to China's National Meteorological Centre.</p><p>It is also expected to approach Japan's Okinawa prefecture. Officials are urging residents to be on high alert on Jul. 10 and 11 for violent winds, landslides, flooding, and storm surges.</p><p>Japan Airlines cancelled 48 domestic flights scheduled for Jul. 10 because of the typhoon, affecting roughly 7,610 passengers.</p><p>Other airlines, including Tigerair, China Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, have also postponed or cancelled flights due to the typhoon, <em>Taipei Times</em> reported.</p></p> ]]>
                    </content:encoded>
                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157968</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>S’pore man, 40, charged for allegedly sending fake bomb threats to HTX building & parliament house</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/man-charged-fake-bomb-threats/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T15:43:14</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Rafael See Toh ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/man-charged-fake-bomb-threats/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ He claimed that the CEO of Anthropic was coming from the United States to help check if there was anything wrong with his computer and requested bail. ]]>
                    </description>

                    <content:encoded>
                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/cover-photo-mothership-2026-07-09T150420.339.png"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>A 40-year-old man was charged in Singapore for allegedly making reports of fake bomb threats to the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) building and the Parliament House.</p><p>Koh Jye Shyang faced two charges of communicating false information of harmful thing on two occasions on Jul. 9, <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/man-charged-after-allegedly-making-false-bomb-threats-to-prime-ministers-office-htx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Straits Times</em></a> and <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/pm-wong-bomb-threat-false-parliament-house-man-charged-6242836" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNA</em></a> reported.</p>
<p><h2>Anthropic</h2></p><p>According to <em>ST</em> and <em>CNA</em>, Koh appeared via video-link in court when receiving the charges.</p><p>He claimed that Dario Amodei, the chief executive officer of American AI firm Anthropic, was coming from San Francisco, United States, to help check if there was anything wrong with his computer.</p><p>He requested bail to facilitate these checks.</p><p>The prosecution requested that Koh be remanded for one week to facilitate further investigations.</p><p>Koh also requested bail to look for a lawyer.</p><p>The judge agreed to the prosecution's request and told Koh his bail request would be considered.</p><p>The case was adjourned to Jul. 16.</p><p><h2>Bomb threats</h2></p><p>On Jul. 3, at about 1:30pm, Koh allegedly sent a false bomb threat to HTX via a FormSG submission.</p><p>"There is a bomb in the Home Team Science and Technology Agency building in 1 Stars Avenue, #12-01, Singapore 138507. Please evacuate the premises immediately," the submission read.</p><p>HTX lodged a police report.</p><p>The agency is located on the 12th floor of 1 Stars Avenue, which shares the same office building as Mediacorp.</p><p>On Jul. 6 at about 3pm, Koh allegedly emailed the Prime Minister’s Office about a bomb threat.</p><p>“There is a bomb placed in the Parliament House at 1 Parliament Pl, Singapore 178880. Please evacuate the premises immediately," the email read.</p><p>On Jul. 7, the police confirmed a report of the email and conducted thorough checks of both premises, including a systematic sweep of the buildings and their surroundings.</p><p>No items of security concern were apparently found.</p><p>Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Central Police Division subsequently established that Koh apparently made the two false bomb threats.</p><p>He was subsequently arrested on Jul. 7.</p><p>Several electronic devices believed to have been used to perpetrate the threats were seized from him as case exhibits.</p><iframe class='post-embed title='S’pore man, 40, charged for allegedly sending fake bomb threats to HTX building & parliament house' style='min-height: 350px;' clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);' src='/2026/07/man-arrested-fake-bomb-threats-parliament/embed/' width='600' frameborder='0' marginwidth='0' marginheight='0' scrolling='no'></iframe></p> ]]>
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                    <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1157986</post-id>
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                <item>
                    <title>US fitness influencer Connor Murphy, 32, drowns in lake in Thailand, rented house found vandalised</title>
                    <link>https://mothership.sg/2026/07/connor-murphy-drowned-lake-thailand/</link>
                    <pubDate>2026-07-09T15:15:37</pubDate>


                    <dc:creator>
                        <![CDATA[ Rafael See Toh ]]>
                    </dc:creator>


                    <guid isPermaLink="false">https://mothership.sg/2026/07/connor-murphy-drowned-lake-thailand/</guid>
                    <description>
                        <![CDATA[ He had reportedly been staying in Thailand on a visa and working remotely. ]]>
                    </description>

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                        <![CDATA[ <img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2026/07/connor-murphy.jpg"/> <p><a href="https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/07/telegram-button.png" alt="Telegram" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872229" /></a></p><p><a href="https://bit.ly/3KjTj94" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/08/wa-button.png" alt="Whatsapp" width="700" height="73" class="aligncenter wp-image-872230" /></a></p><p>American fitness influencer Connor Murphy was found dead after he jumped into a lake at a housing estate in Samut Prakan, Thailand.</p><p>The 32-year-old apparently drowned on the evening of Jul. 7, <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3282935/american-fitness-influencer-drowns-in-samut-prakan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bangkok Pos</em>t</a> and <a href="https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2026/07/08/american-fitness-influencer-connor-murphy-drowns-in-samut-prakan-lake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Khaosod</em></a> reported.</p>
<p>As an American fitness influencer, he had about 2.36 million <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ConnorMurphyOfficial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube</a> subscribers.</p><p>He had reportedly been staying in Thailand on a visa and working remotely, selling fitness food supplements.</p><p>Murphy was well known in the “looksmaxxing” community, made up of young males who would go to extreme lengths to enhance their physical appearance.</p><p>Several fitness influencers, such as American bodybuilder Greg Doucette, paid respects to Murphy on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dagpxn7tP5h/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media</a>.</p><p><h2>Behaviour</h2></p><p>According to witnesses, including a security guard and an employee at the estate, he apparently exhibited disturbing behaviour before jumping into the lake.</p><p>Murphy reportedly returned to the neighbourhood in a hired vehicle and attempted to give the driver 1,000 baht (S$38.60).</p><p>However, the driver purportedly refused as Murphy was behaving unusually.</p><p>Murphy then approached a resident’s passing car and allegedly knocked on the window, asking for a ride into the estate.</p><p>The security guard said he shouted to the driver not to pick him up.</p><p>Murphy reportedly became agitated and started shouting.</p><p>He also rolled around on the pavement and raised his hands as if he were praying.</p><p><h2>Lake</h2></p><p>When local police arrived, he apparently ran and jumped into the lake.</p><p>This prompted the police to request backup and rescue personnel.</p><p>In a video of the incident recorded by the guard, Murphy purportedly continued swimming until he appeared exhausted, before disappearing beneath the water.</p><p>No one apparently dared to enter the lake to help him, as the lake was reportedly more than 10m deep.</p><p>Rescue divers eventually showed up and searched for Murphy for about 30 minutes before recovering his body about 20m from the shore.</p><p>According to local police, his body showed no signs of assault, and he was sent to a local hospital for an autopsy.</p><p><h2>House</h2></p><p>Investigations revealed that his rented house had been splashed with black and yellow paint.</p><p>Electrical appliances were also doused in paint.</p><p>The homeowner, identified as View, was reportedly devastated after seeing the condition of the house.</p><p>She claimed that she cherished the lakeside residence and it was valued at around 22 million baht (S$849,154.68).</p><p>The house had been rented out for 35,000 baht (S$1,350.93) a month.</p><p>It was rented out to Murphy and his 22-year-old girlfriend, identified as Bee.</p><p>The couple apparently occupied the house for about three months.</p><p>View claimed she carefully selected the tenants and never expected to find the property so badly damaged, with furniture and home decorations ruined.</p><p>According to Bee, the damage to the house occurred overnight when she was asleep in her room and Murphy was awake.</p><p>Murphy had appeared completely normal before the incident, and he had apparently never shown similar behaviour or experienced any known mental health problems, she added.</p><p>She also claimed that she had never seen him use drugs when they lived together</p><p>The couple had reportedly been together for about three years, but spent much of that time living apart due to relationship difficulties.</p><p>They purportedly resumed living together less than three months ago.</p><p><h2>Investigations</h2></p><p>Investigators who searched Murphy’s vehicle found two unused syringes and several unidentified white pills inside his waist bag.</p><p>Preliminary examinations found only abrasions sustained from him rolling on the road.</p><p>Toxicology tests for drugs will be conducted.</p><p>Police have not announced a final cause of death beyond drowning.</p><p>Investigators were also gathering evidence and would notify the American embassy in Thailand.</p></p> ]]>
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