Man jailed three weeks for setting off fireworks
He also tried deflecting blame for Deepavali night stunt
After buying fireworks, he took them to an open field and set them off.
They flew at least seven storeys high, and were loud enough to be heard from the surrounding Housing Board blocks.
Yesterday, Jeevan Arjoon, 29, was sentenced to three weeks' jail and fined $5,000 for setting off dangerous fireworks.
During Deepavali last year, Jeevan had gone to a bazaar in Little India and bought four sets of fireworks from an unknown peddler.
After purchasing them, he went to meet his family and friends, who were at an open playground beside Block 513A Yishun Street 51.
Around 3.30am, he took them to the open field across the block, where he lit the fuses on all four sets of fireworks.
The display lasted three to five minutes. No property was damaged and no one was hurt.
His family was unaware he was going to do it.
During investigations on Nov 7, Jeevan first said he and one Mattavan Michael Douglas had bought the fireworks together that night.
Later, he denied having any part in buying them.
But he had bought the fireworks alone and admitted this to the police on Nov 12.
He had wanted to push the blame to Michael to exact revenge. This was because he felt it was Michael who had told the police that Jeevan had set off the fireworks.
Jeevan also had a record of giving false information to a public servant in 2017.
Jeevan, who was unrepresented, said in his mitigation he was the sole breadwinner of his family and was taking care of his mother-in-law who was diabetic and blind.
He was also convicted of giving false information to a police officer.
One other charge was taken into consideration.
District Judge Marvin Bay said the court has to take a strict view of his use and possession of fireworks.
He said the detonation of fireworks can cause serious injuries and pose a risk of fires, and noted that they were set off close to public housing.
He added that setting off fireworks at 3am could also cause considerable alarm to the public, particularly in this time of heightened concerns over possible acts of terrorism.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
