S'pore man, 70, smashes neighbour's windows with axe after drinking 10 bottles of beer

A 70-year-old ex-offender was recently arrested again after breaking the windows of his neighbour's house with an axe.

It happened in the evening of Nov. 8, when no one was inside the neighbour's house, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

Another neighbour witnessed the act and called the police, who later arrested the man, Chua Cheng Kwee.

Chua was charged with possessing a weapon without lawful authority or for a lawful purpose, while also being accused of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of others.

On Dec. 18, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two months and six days in prison.

The six days were added as an enhanced sentence because Chua breached a remission order that he was serving at the time of the incident.

Grudge

Chua and the victim had not been on good terms due to several past disputes, investigations revealed.

Chua bore a grudge against the victim over his recent incarceration.

He had also been intoxicated at the time of the incident, after drinking more than 10 bottles of beer with a friend, who court documents named "Botak",  that morning at around 10 am.

When he returned to his flat at about 6 pm, he had the intention to create trouble for the victim.

He took an axe from his house and went out to the common corridor outside the neighbour's unit.

Out of anger, he used the axe to repeatedly smash the windows of the victim's living room and bedroom, shattering a total of 13 panes of glass.

He then returned to his flat with the axe and was later arrested there by the police.

The police found another axe from Chua's kitchen and seized both axes.

Under remission order

According to court documents, Chua was serving a remission order from Oct. 31 to Nov. 17, 2025.

As he was deemed to have breached this order, he was given an enhanced sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 days, which was the remaining duration of his remission order.

After being charged in court on Nov. 10, he was remanded in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for two weeks until his psychiatric report was released on Nov. 24. The prosecutor did not discuss the report in the court documents.

Previous conflict

This incident was not the first time Chua caused trouble while drunk, the victim told Shin Min Daily News.

Half a year ago, Chua damaged the victim's bicycle by pouring paint thinner over it, and frightened his young son to tears, according to the victim.

That was how Chua was previously arrested, as the victim reported him to the police.

The victim added that the glass windows that Chua broke were not transparent and were difficult to find again.

He finally settled for the transparent type and replaced the windows in early December for S$320.

As of Dec. 12, Chua has not compensated the victim for this sum, according to court documents.

Top images from Canva and Shin Min