AssMRT train vandalised

[chobolan]

Swiss man pleads guilty to spraying graffiti on Singapore subway car, may be caned

Swiss man pleads guilty to spraying graffiti on Singapore subway car, may be caned

Published June 25, 2010 | Associated Press
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SINGAPORE (AP) — A Swiss man pleaded guilty Friday to spray-painting graffiti on a Singapore subway car and could be caned as punishment. Oliver Fricker, 32, pleaded guilty to one count each of vandalism and trespassing for breaking into a train depot and drawing graffiti on a subway car on May 16. Prosecutors dropped a second vandalism charge but submitted it to the judge for consideration in Fricker's sentencing, which is scheduled for later Friday.

Fricker and his lawyer, Derek Kang, did not speak to reporters at the courthouse. Vandalism in Singapore carries a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars ($1,437) or up to three years in jail, in addition to three to eight strokes of a cane. Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fey for vandalism in 1994 — ignoring pleas for leniency by then-President Bill Clinton — in a case that drew international attention to the country's harsh punishments.

Singapore reiterated a ban on the sale of chewing gum this year and announced a crackdown on littering last month. The city-state has one of the lowest violent crime rates and highest standards of living in the world.
Prosecutors said Fricker, who is free on SG$100,000 ($72,000) bail, committed the crimes with Lloyd Dane Alexander, a British national who is at large. Police issued an arrest warrant for Alexander, 29, earlier this month, and prosecutors said he fled to Hong Kong last month.

Fricker, who has worked in Singapore as an information technology consultant since 2008, and Alexander cut through a security fence and caused about SG$11,000 of damage by painting 'McKoy Banos' on a train car, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said their version of events was revealed through police investigations, but didn't specify how Fricker was identified.

Singapore's subway operator, SMRT Corp, apologized earlier this month for the incident, which led local media to question the city-state's preparedness against possible terrorist attacks. SMRT said it has beefed up security at train depots by adding razor wire to perimeter fences, more cameras and foot patrols by guards. SMRT didn't report the incident to police for two days because staff thought the brightly colored graffiti was an advertisement.

 

[chobolan]

Swiss gets 5 months, caning


Jun 25, 2010
Swiss gets 5 months, caning

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent
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Oliver Fricker was sentenced to five months jail and three strokes of the cane for breaking into a protected place and vandalising an SMRT train by spray-painting two of its carriages. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

SWISS IT consultant Oliver Fricker, 32, was sentenced to five months jail and three strokes of the cane on Friday for breaking into a protected place and vandalising an SMRT train by spray-painting two of its carriages. He had earlier in the day pleaded guilty to committing the offences at MRT Changi depot between May 16 and 17 with his friend, Dane Alexander Lloyd, who has skipped town.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharon Lim said the pair came to know each other in Australia about three years ago, and had been keeping in touch occasionally through e-mail. Earlier this year, the 29-year-old Briton told Fricker he would be coming here for a visit. At the end of March, Lloyd e-mailed Mr Arman Alluwie, who sells spray paint in Singapore, to enquire if Ironlak spray paint was available here. He later ordered 11 cans from Mr Arman and requested that they be delivered on May 16.

That evening, the pair proceeded to SMRT Changi depot to reconnoiter the area and left shortly after because of the rain. Late that evening, both men, each carrying a small bag holding a few cans of spray paint, entered the depot after cutting a hole in the fence. Fricker sprayed the word McKoy on the left of the train carriage. The other word Banos was spray-painted on the right. Lloyd took some photographs of their work before they left through the gap. Fricker was arrested on May 25. The court heard that SMRT's estimated losses totalled about $11,000.

 

[wahlaneh]

Re: Swiss gets 5 months, caning

Jun 25, 2010
Swiss gets 5 months, caning

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent
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give me 5!

 

[Ramseth]

Re: Swiss gets 5 months, caning

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The other hand at his backside is showing three fingers.

 

[wahlaneh]

Re: Swiss gets 5 months, caning

The other hand at his backside is showing three fingers.

wahlaneh...
not :oIo: meh?

 

[chowka]

Longer jail term sought for Fricker


Longer jail term sought for Fricker

by Shaffiq Alkhatib
05:55 AM Aug 14, 2010

<script type="text/javascript"> var fontIndex = 2; var fontSize = new Array('0.63em', '0.69em', '0.75em', '0.88em', '1em', '1.13em'); </script> SINGAPORE - The prosecution has appealed to the High Court to either double or triple Swiss national Oliver Fricker's two-month jail term for trespassing. Deputy Senior State Counsel Kan Shuk Weng told the court on Friday that Fricker's current two-month sentence was manifestly inadequate.

Fricker, 32, pleaded guilty in June to trespassing into the SMRT Changi depot, a protected place. He was also sentenced to three months' jail and three strokes of the cane for vandalising two train carriages.

As the sentences are to run consecutively, Fricker will have to spend a total of five months behind bars.

However, Ms Kan told Justice V K Rajah that a jail term of between seven and nine months would be more appropriate.

In contrast, Fricker's lawyer, Mr Derek Kang, appealed for the sentence to run concurrently and a reduction in the overall sentence.

Mr Kang also said Fricker had given SMRT $3,600 to meet the cost of cleaning and repainting the carriages and investigating the case.

The court heard that Fricker had been convicted in his own country in 2001 for damaging property. He had committed the earlier offences between June 1998 and May 1999. He was on probation for two years and fined 3,000 Swiss francs or about $4,000.

The prosecution asked the court to admit the additional evidence, which Justice Rajah allowed. The court has adjourned to next Wednesday.

 

[chobolan]

2 more months for vandal


Aug 18, 2010
2 more months for vandal

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
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Oliver Fricker at the Subordinate Courts. Fricker had his sentence extended by an additional 2 months after a prosecution appeal. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

<!-- story content : start --> CONVICTED Swiss national Oliver Fricker will have to serve another two months jail for trespassing into a train depot. Justice V.K. Rajah on Wednesday allowed the prosecution's appeal against the two-month jail term imposed on this charge by doubling it. Fricker, whose appeal against sentence was dismissed, will now be jailed seven months plus the minimum three strokes of the cane for spray painting an MRT train and entering a protected place.

He had pleaded guilty to two offences committed with alleged accomplice Dane Alexander Lloyd, a 29-year-old Briton who is still at large. Under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act, the maximum punishment is a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a jail term of up to two years. For vandalism, he could be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three years with between three and eight strokes of the cane.

The Swiss IT consultant has a previous conviction back in his home country, and served two years' probation and paid a fine of 3,000 Swiss francs (S$3,900) for 'property damage (multiple incidents)' which he committed between June 1998 and May 1999.

 

[Ranmaru Mori]

Swiss vandal Fricker's jail term extended to 7 months


Swiss vandal Fricker's jail term extended to 7 months
By Imelda Saad | Posted: 18 August 2010 1052 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Swiss vandal Oliver Fricker has been slapped with two more months in jail for a total of seven months. This came after the Prosecution fought for a heavier sentence against Fricker for trespassing into the SMRT Changi Depot.

The 32-year-old also vandalised two train carriages. For breaking into a secured area and vandalising a train, Fricker was sentenced to five months' jail and three strokes of the cane in June.

The caning sentence remains. The additional two months meted out on Wednesday by the High Court are for trespassing. Explaining his decision, Justice VK Rajah said foreigners in Singapore are accorded many rights, privileges as well as courtesies by law.

In return, they must respect and observe the law. He said: "If and when foreigners contravene any laws, they cannot expect or claim special privileges or exemptions on the basis of their nationality or status as a foreigner."

And while the "laws of Singapore proscribing vandalising are indeed severe", Justice Rajah said these are the very laws that are largely "responsible for a clean and graffiti-free environment" as well as a low incidence of crime involving damage to public property and services.”

The Judge noted that Fricker knew that vandalism attracts stiff punishment in Singapore. He said the act cannot be considered a "momentary lapse of judgement" because Fricker was involved in the planning process with an alleged accomplice, Briton, Dane Alexandra Lloyd.

The Judge noted that Fricker had cut through a fence surrounding a protected place to commit an act which was meant to bring about "instant international notoriety". And this must be "unequivocally deplored" while like-minded offenders must be deterred from copycat offending.

He said: "After they committed the offences, they were immensely pleased with themselves. Proud of their handiwork, they took a number of photographs and they went off together to Hong Kong for a planned holiday before the Accused returned to Singapore. The judge said "it is conduct which is entirely unacceptable in Singapore, regardless of the artistic merit, or lack thereof, of the graffiti”.

Justice Rajah said had the Prosecution appealed against the sentence for the graffiti charge, he would have handed out a stiffer penalty. So, Fricker should "count himself fortunate that he has not received his just desserts in full". In court, Fricker was clean-cut, shaven head and dressed in prison overalls.

For most parts, he was expressionless when the judgement was delivered but there were times when he looked down and shook his head disapprovingly, especially when the Judge spoke of how his act of vandalism was planned and that he had done so to gain international fame.

Fricker's lawyer said his client was disappointed. Defence Lawyer Derek Kang said: "In particular, the view of the court that he had done this to gain international notoriety, that is simply not the case. This was never meant to be some kind of publicity stunt.

“When he and the accomplice went inside the train depot, they had no idea and they could not tell at all whether the train was even working because it's a storage and maintenance depot and furthermore, there was no way they could even tell whether it was going to run or was scheduled to run in the next couple of days.

“They also expected that the train staff would have spotted what they had sprayed anyway before the train left the depot, and cleaned it up. It's quite a heavy price my client has to pay for what was essentially a single foolish act that he decided upon in the afternoon before he and the accomplice went to commit the act but he's taking this maturely and he just wants to get on with his life".

On the additional evidence submitted by the Prosecution relating to Fricker's previous conviction in Switzerland, Justice Rajah said he could not give it much weight due to a lack of details and the fact that the offence was committed 12 years ago when Fricker was just 20 years old.

Fricker has no further right of appeal. - CNA/vm

 

[123456787654321]

Not to worry, he will be released after two or three months for good behaviour.

 

[Cigar Guy]

Swiss vandal released from prison


Nov 16, 2010

Swiss vandal released from prison

Fricker out after spending less than five months in jail

By Teh Joo Lin

Oliver Fricker, working with an accomplice, cut a hole in the fence of Changi depot and spray-painted graffiti on a train. -- ST FILE PHOTO

A SWISS IT consultant who broke into a depot and spray-painted graffiti on a train was released from prison yesterday morning. Oliver Fricker, 32, had been sentenced to seven months' jail and three strokes of the cane for trespassing and vandalising an SMRT train in mid-May. The unprecedented act was seen as a serious breach and sparked a review of the security of the public transport network.

Fricker spent less than five months in jail after he received a one-third remission for good behaviour. He left the Changi Prison Complex in a bus shortly after 8am. It is believed he was taken to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) building in Lavender for repatriation procedures, although it was not known last night if he had been deported to Switzerland.

It was also unclear whether he would be banned from re-entry in the future. An ICA spokesman said it cannot comment on individual cases for reasons of confidentiality. Fricker declined to be interviewed when a request was conveyed through the Swiss embassy.

Read the full story in The Straits Times today.
[email protected]

 

[no_faith]

so fast release liao, gd conducts sia???

 

[chobolan]

SMRT vandal met by cops


Nov 18, 2010

FRICKER SUSPECTED OF VANDALISM AT HOME

SMRT vandal met by cops

By Teh Joo Lin

Fricker, 32, is now in police custody there. --ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

SWISS national Oliver Fricker flew home to Switzerland on Tuesday, hours after he was released from Changi Prison - and straight into the arms of police waiting for him at Zurich Airport. Fricker, 32, is now in police custody there. A Swiss police spokesman told The Straits Times on Wednesday that Fricker is suspected of having vandalised several trains in Switzerland between 2002 and this year.

The cost of the damage ran up to about 200,000 Swiss francs ($260,000). He added that the vandalism on the Swiss trains bore similarities to that on the SMRT train which Fricker and an accomplice spray-painted in May. The SMRT train was scrawled with the words 'McKoy Banos' - the signature tag of two 'graffiti artists' believed to have spray-painted trains around the world.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]

 

[no_faith]

he also did the crime at home at the beginning of 2002 but only get caught at 2010 after sg has released him?

 

[ps07857]

It's because of his "signature" graffitti that the Swiss authorities now have a handle against him.

 

[Coolsaint77]

Damn suay sia... spray nice art kanna rotan... mercedes bang people also no rotan ==> Singapore Law

 

[johnny333]

The article mentions that he was released early because of good behaviour. No mention of whether he got canned. So was he canned or was that part suspended because of good behaviour

 

[GoldenDragon]

The article mentions that he was released early because of good behaviour. No mention of whether he got canned. So was he canned or was that part suspended because of good behaviour

If caned, also not full force. Perhaps 60% of strength used. Caners not familiar with white bums.

 

[Ramseth]

he also did the crime at home at the beginning of 2002 but only get caught at 2010 after sg has released him?

It shows that Singapore police is more efficient than Swiss.

 

[GoldenDragon]

It shows that Singapore police is more efficient than Swiss.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[zuoom]

hmm.. if like that, what will become of the famous Banksy?