S’porean man, 33, throws birdcage from 10th floor, kills 3 lovebirds, gets 42 weeks’ jail for a litany of crimes

A 33-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 42 weeks’ jail for throwing a birdcage from the 10th floor of his housing block, killing three birds.

In charge sheets seen by Mothership, the man, Daniel Aloysius John, faced 10 charges, including offences under the Animals and Birds Act, committing a rash act endangering the safety of others, and affray.

He pleaded guilty to five of those charges on Jun. 4, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

Lovebirds

John kept three lovebirds for about six years.

They were in a birdcage at his home in Hougang.

On Feb. 16, John drank between six and eight cans of beer at home.

At about 7pm, his mother noticed that he had placed a knife beside the birdcage.

She removed the knife.

The pair then got into an argument.

In a fit of rage, John proceeded to carry the birdcage with the birds in it to the corridor, before hurling it off the edge.

One of the birds died immediately, while the other two were rescued by residents.

John was arrested at about 11pm, and police notified the National Parks Board (NParks) of the incident.

One of the rescued birds died before NParks officers arrived, while the third succumbed to its injuries and died on Feb. 19.

The three birds died due to external blunt force trauma, charge sheets said.

Detained

After his arrest, John was detained at Woodlands Police Division Headquarters.

As he had undergone knee surgery, an auxiliary police officer escorted him to the medical room for an assessment.

When asked about his medical history, John refused to cooperate.

Later, the officer escorted him to his cell.

John then headbutted the officer on the right jaw, injuring him.

7-Eleven

On Mar. 3 at about 11:22pm, John got into an altercation with a 27-year-old man at the 7-Eleven located at Hougang Green Shopping Mall.

They reportedly knocked over shelves and scattered goods all over the place.

Both men were subsequently arrested.

Detained again

John was detained again at the same regional lockup.

On Mar. 4, he reportedly became impatient with medical staff inquiring about his medical history and drug allergies.

At about 1:37am, he verbally abused a medical staff member and spat on him.

“F*** your mother la ch**by*, ch**by* dog”, John said.

Sentencing

The court heard that John had previously committed offences in 2011 and 2025 such as voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and committing a rash act endangering the safety of others.

The prosecution said Singapore has a high population density, and objects thrown from high-rise buildings could easily endanger public safety.

The prosecution also added that John’s actions resulted in the deaths of three lovebirds.

Considering that his actions were not premeditated but impulsive, the prosecution urged the judge to sentence John to three to four months’ jail for throwing the birdcage down.

The prosecution additionally proposed a total jail term between 10 months and one week and 13 months and two weeks.