Man admits to sending vulgar audio messages to CNB officer
He failed to turn up for several urine tests, so Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers looked for him at his home.
This angered Bryan Chen Wenjun, 20, who sent four profanity-laden WhatsApp audio recordings to one of the officers, berating him for the house visit.
A loan shark runner at the time, Chen had also set fire to the iron grille of a Telok Blangah flat to harass a debtor and was found to be in unlawful possession of a knuckle duster.
Last Monday, Chen pleaded guilty to these offences, as well as failing to report for his urine test and failing to provide a urine sample to a police officer when required after he was arrested.
The court heard that Chen was under a two-year drug supervision order since July last year for consuming methamphetamine and was required to present himself for urine tests every Thursday.
But he failed to report for the tests seven times, including on Feb 7, 14 and 21.
Staff Sergeant Gan Cher Kiat and other CNB officers went to his house on Feb 20 and were attended to by his grandmother. She told them Chen had not been home for three weeks.
That evening, Chen sent SSGT Gan the WhatsApp audio recordings. He was angry with the officer as he claimed he had informed SSGT Gan not to disturb his family, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Jia En told District Judge May Mesenas.
Four days later, Chen got his friend, Ashley Koh Hui Cong, 27, to drive him to the Telok Blangah flat where he set fire to the iron grille of the unit and placed a debtor's note.
Koh was jailed for 16 months and given three strokes of the cane in November for loan shark harassment.
On the run for various offences, Chen, Koh and three other friends rented an apartment and were nabbed there on Feb 27. Items seized included a knuckle duster and 2.55g of meth.
Chen's lawyer, Mr James Ow Yong, asked Judge Mesenas to call for a probation report and said his client's offences were borne out of one bad choice following another.
But the judge agreed with the prosecution that only a reformative training suitability report should be called.
DPP Tay said Chen committed serious offences that smacked of defiance.
Citing Chen's previous offences, he added there was a marked escalation in Chen's offending conduct and he had minimal familial support.
Out on bail of $15,000, Chen must surrender tomorrow.
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