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Teen beaten, robbed of laptop, asked to pay $10,000 to gang

This article is more than 12 months old

17-year-old sentenced to reformative training after orchestrating attacks on 15-year-old

A 15-year-old's life turned into a nightmare when he aggressively pursued a girl who is of the same age and refused to be his girlfriend.

After she complained to an older boy, the teen was beaten, had cash taken forcefully from him, was robbed of his laptop and asked to pay $10,000 to a gang for ruining its "reputation".

The acts of violence on different occasions last year took place when the teen began pestering the girl, a Chinese national, in October.

The victim and girl cannot be named as they are younger than 16.

After she rebuffed him, he turned aggressive and called her a "prostitute".

She complained to Wang Zhen, 16, also a Chinese national, and he told Bryan Lim Jun Ying, 17, about it.

Wang subsequently got the 15-year-old boy to go to Causeway Point on Dec 27 for "settlement talks".

Lim, who orchestrated the attacks, and nine others were waiting for the teen, who followed the group to the carpark at Level 5.

There, Lim, armed with a knuckle duster, punched him, and another person named Jason - who is at large - punched and kicked him.

Bleeding, the boy managed to flee.

The same evening, Lim called and told him to bring some cash for a meeting to "resolve any outstanding problems between them".

At a coffee shop near Choa Chu Kang MRT, Lim demanded $100 as an apology to the girl and the victim paid out of fear.

Lim then said the "boss" of his gang wanted the boy to pay $10,000 for ruining its reputation, or the "boss" would "chop off his arm".

He asked the boy to pay $5,000 by end-February, saying he had paid the balance.

Lim also took $400 from the boy to get the girl to forget the matter.

TEXT MESSAGE

On Jan 4 this year, the boy ignored his text message for a meeting.

The next day, Lim, Wang and four others went to his home, where Lim took $250 from the frightened boy, as well as his $2,499 laptop.

Wang's case is pending.

Yesterday, District Judge May Mesenas sentenced Lim to reformative training on five of 10 charges. She noted that despite a guidance programme in 2015, he had not learnt his lesson. Instead, he had gone on to commit very serious offences.

She allowed his lawyer's application to defer sentence until Jan 12.

Lim is out on a $20,000 bail.

COURT & CRIME