Man jailed for setting fire to flat after grandma didn't open gate

Angered that his grandmother would not respond to his calls for help to open the gate, a man set fire to a piece of cardboard and wedged it in the door to the flat. His grandmother was alerted to the fire by her neighbours and managed to put it out by pouring water on the flames.

Lenard Tan Yong Jia, 27, was sentenced to seven months' jail on Friday (Jul 4) for one count of mischief by fire. A second charge was taken into consideration. Tan was a student at the time and lived in a flat with his stepfather and his grandmother. On Apr 18 this year, he went home and discovered that the wooden door could be opened, but the metal gate was locked. Unable to enter, he knocked on the door, but there was no response. He called his grandmother on the phone about six times, but she refused to pick up the call. This was because she was scared of her grandson, whom she believed was a drug addict. The pair had also had an undisclosed dispute before this.

Tan used his lighter to set fire to a piece of cardboard just outside the house and placed it in the gap between the metal gate and wooden door, against a cardboard box that was already wedged in the opening of the door itself. He then took a video of the fire and sent it to his uncle, along with an audio recording that said \"you want to play with me, I burn and let you see\" in Mandarin. Tan then left the scene with the fire still burning. The victim heard knocking shortly after and heard her neighbours calling out to her. She discovered the fire and put it out by pouring water on it.

The fire damaged the door, floor tiles, skirting and paint around the entrance. Repairs are estimated at about S$7,000 (US$5,500), but this cannot be confirmed as Tan's stepfather has yet to decide whether to go ahead with the repairs. Tan was found on Apr 18 with two penknives and the lighter he had used to start the fire. He was later arrested and remanded.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jotham Tay sought five to six months' jail for Tan, saying Tan knew that his 67-year-old grandma was home when he started the fire. \"He moreover did so with the door open and the cardboard box wedged in the door, allowing for the fire and smoke to spread into the unit. This would have endangered the victim's health or even life,\" said Mr Tay.