SINGAPORE: A psychiatric patient who threatened to join Islamic State (ISIS) extremists and "bomb Singapore" has been ordered by the court to undergo 24 months of mandatory treatment for multiple mental conditions, including schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Lee Soo Liang, 37, also has a history of depression and bipolar disorder.
The unemployed resident of Simei Care Centre (SCC), a residential centre for those suffering from psychiatric disorders, said he made the empty threat hoping that the police would send him to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or to jail.
Lee “had absolutely no intention to join ISIS or bomb Singapore”, the prosecution told the court. He was not in communication with anybody linked to ISIS and “did not know nor have the means to make a bomb” when he made the call to police on Nov 15 last year, prosecutors added.
Lee, who provided police with his name, address and room number at the centre, where he has lived for the past eight years, apparently wanted to be reunited with his mother and former girlfriend, both of whom currently reside at IMH.
His case manager said he expressed "preoccupation that the SCC staff were displeased with him”, and described Lee as “generally well-behaved and compliant”. Lee has never "exhibited any aggression or violence”, the case manager added.
Seven police officers were deployed to SCC and arrested Lee, who did not put up any resistance.
Lee was initially charged under the United Nations (Anti-terrorism Measures) Regulations for making a false threat of a terrorist act. However, his charge was later reduced to one of transmitting a false message to the police by virtue of his “lengthy history of psychiatric illness”, the prosecution said.
While the prosecution had treated Lee’s threat “very seriously” and initiated criminal proceedings against him, it is clear that Lee had been “motivated by a misguided desire to be sent to jail or to IMH”, the court heard.
An IMH report had stated that Lee's schizophrenia had some contributory effect to his offence in the form of his "paranoid ideas and impaired judgement".
The prosecution said in light of the "clear imperative for (Lee) to receive treatment for his serious mental illness", it asked for a reduced charge and asked for Lee to be placed on a Mandatory Treatment Order for 24 months, which the court agreed with.
The imposition of an MTO "will address (Lee's) offending conduct" and ensure that he is given the necessary psychiatric treatment and counselling, the prosecution said.
Under the Telecommunications Act, any person who transmits a false message could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$10,000.
- CNA/xk
Lee Soo Liang, 37, also has a history of depression and bipolar disorder.
The unemployed resident of Simei Care Centre (SCC), a residential centre for those suffering from psychiatric disorders, said he made the empty threat hoping that the police would send him to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or to jail.
Lee “had absolutely no intention to join ISIS or bomb Singapore”, the prosecution told the court. He was not in communication with anybody linked to ISIS and “did not know nor have the means to make a bomb” when he made the call to police on Nov 15 last year, prosecutors added.
Lee, who provided police with his name, address and room number at the centre, where he has lived for the past eight years, apparently wanted to be reunited with his mother and former girlfriend, both of whom currently reside at IMH.
His case manager said he expressed "preoccupation that the SCC staff were displeased with him”, and described Lee as “generally well-behaved and compliant”. Lee has never "exhibited any aggression or violence”, the case manager added.
Seven police officers were deployed to SCC and arrested Lee, who did not put up any resistance.
Lee was initially charged under the United Nations (Anti-terrorism Measures) Regulations for making a false threat of a terrorist act. However, his charge was later reduced to one of transmitting a false message to the police by virtue of his “lengthy history of psychiatric illness”, the prosecution said.
While the prosecution had treated Lee’s threat “very seriously” and initiated criminal proceedings against him, it is clear that Lee had been “motivated by a misguided desire to be sent to jail or to IMH”, the court heard.
An IMH report had stated that Lee's schizophrenia had some contributory effect to his offence in the form of his "paranoid ideas and impaired judgement".
The prosecution said in light of the "clear imperative for (Lee) to receive treatment for his serious mental illness", it asked for a reduced charge and asked for Lee to be placed on a Mandatory Treatment Order for 24 months, which the court agreed with.
The imposition of an MTO "will address (Lee's) offending conduct" and ensure that he is given the necessary psychiatric treatment and counselling, the prosecution said.
Under the Telecommunications Act, any person who transmits a false message could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$10,000.
- CNA/xk
