Man, 44, started fire in Joo Seng home due to delusions about neighbour, gets mandatory treatment order

The Singaporean man who started a fire in his unit that sent 10 people to the hospital has been ordered by the court to undergo mandatory treatment for two years.

Liu Zheyuan, 44, was suffering from a delusional disorder at the time, and thought his upstairs neighbour was attacking him.

On Jun. 22, he pleaded guilty and was convicted of committing mischief by fire.

Following a report assessing his suitability, the court issued a mandatory treatment order to Liu on Jul. 6, with immediate effect.

Over the two years of mandatory treatment, Liu is required to attend progress reviews when directed to do so by the supervising agency or by the court.

Delusions

For the past two years, Liu had believed that his upstairs neighbour was intentionally shooting laser beams and sending strong currents through his ceiling to disturb him.

On the night of the fire, Liu believed that such attacks were happening again.

This reportedly caused pain in his head and ears, leading him to burn charcoal in an attempt to ward off the attack.

The fire

According to charge sheets, Liu burned a pot of charcoal in the living room of his home at Block 14 Joo Seng Road on May 4 at about 9:40pm on May 4.

It started a fire that "engulfed the whole unit", the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.

The court heard that Liu attempted to extinguish the fire in panic, but failed to do so.

He then called the SCDF for help and informed his neighbours to evacuate the premises.

When the SCDF arrived, they assessed eight people for smoke inhalation and conveyed them to the hospital.

Among these people were Liu's elderly parents, who were living in the same unit with him, according to The Straits Times.

Two firefighters felt unwell while putting out the blaze and were sent to the hospital too as a precaution. Both were discharged the next day.

As a result of the fire, the Jalan Besar Town Council said a common area was damaged, and estimated repairs would cost about S$80,000 to S$100,000.

Medical assessment

While he was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) after his arrest, Liu was assessed to be suffering from a delusional disorder at the time of the incident.

His condition was found to be moderate in severity, given his fixation and the distress experienced from the perceived disturbances.

Though there was a minor contributory link between his psychiatric condition and the offence, Liu was said to be not of unsound mind at the time.