Man, 59, uses makeshift crossbow to shoot metal balls at crows in Tiong Bahru, damages HDB flat windows

Annoyed by the noise caused by crows in his housing estate, a 59-year-old man created a makeshift crossbow-like device to shoot metal ball bearings at them.

On at least five occasions between Apr. 4 and Jul. 16, 2025, Seah Yam Seng stood at the window in his house in Tiong Bahru and used the device to shoot metal balls towards the trees and the linkway near the block opposite his.

According to court documents, his actions endangered the personal safety of passersby, and Seah pleaded guilty in court to this charge.

Two more charges for damaging the windows of other residents, and one charge for possessing a weapon, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

On Sep. 15, he was sentenced to a mandatory treatment order for one year.

Shooting metal balls

In 2024, Seah bought metal ball bearings online along with various other items to put together the makeshift crossbow.

It was designed to let him aim and discharge a projectile by holding the device in just one hand.

He admitted later that he intended to use the device to shoot at crows, not at passersby.

However, court documents said he was aware that people regularly walked under or near the trees and the linkway he aimed at.

He also knew that these passersby were not always visible from where he was standing at the window.

There were occasions where the metal balls he shot did not hit their intended target but hit other objects.

Still, he continued firing the metal balls because he was annoyed by the noise the crows made.

Damaged windows

On Apr. 12, 2025, Seah shot a metal ball that went through and damaged the kitchen window of a resident in the block opposite his.

The shot created small holes in the window.

He also similarly damaged the windows of another resident in the same block on at least three occasions between May 2 and Jun. 16, 2025.

Arrest

Seah was arrested on Jul. 16, 2025.

That morning, he got agitated with the noise from the nearby crows again, and used his device to shoot metal balls towards the trees and the linkway.

A resident was looking out of his window at the time, and after seeing what Seah was doing, they lodged a police report.

On Jul. 18, 2025, Seah was released from police custody on court bail, and has been on bail ever since.

Adjustment disorder

The court called for a mandatory treatment order suitability report, which the prosecutor did not object to.

According to the prosecutor, Seah has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, which was found to have had a contributory link to his offending.