Nov 20, 2010
More years for loan shark runner
He gets 4 1/2 years' jail for torching HDB flat doors, up from 3 years
By Selina Lum
THE High Court yesterday sent out a strong message that loan shark runners who harass debtors by setting fire to their doors will be dealt with severely by the courts. In the first case of harassment by fire to go to the High Court, Justice Steven Chong increased the jail term of 24-year-old Nelson Jeyaraj Chandran from three years to 4 1/2 years.
The prosecution had appealed to the High Court on the five harassment charges against the loan shark runner, arguing for a deterrent sentence. In August, Jeyaraj had pleaded guilty to six charges under the Moneylenders Act, of which five were for acts of harassment by using kerosene to set fire to the doors of five HDB flats.
Four other charges were taken into account during sentencing. On each of the five harassment charges, he was sentenced to a year in jail and three strokes of the cane. Three of the terms were to run consecutively.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
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