5+ months’ jail for Australian woman who spray-painted Salvation Army walls & vans at Upper Bukit Timah Rd

SINGAPORE: On March 9 (Monday), a woman who used spray paint to vandalise the walls and vehicles at a charity on Upper Bukit Timah Road was sentenced to five months and six weeks of jail.

The incident occurred on the morning of Dec 25. The Singapore Police Force said the following day that they had received a call for help at around 9:15 am at Praisehaven, The Salvation Army, at 500 Upper Bukit Timah Road, where a case of vandalism had taken place.

The police found offensive words written with red spray paint on the walls and three vans belonging to the charity, and a can of spray paint was found on the premises.

The police arrested a 43-year-old Australian woman within five hours after establishing her identity through police cameras. She was charged in court on Dec 27 with the offence of Vandalism under Section 3 of the Vandalism Act 1966.

Sentencing

The woman has since been identified as Dianna Ong, who pleaded guilty to one charge of vandalism. Three additional charges were taken into consideration for her sentencing.

Ong had posted photos of the vandalism on her social media account.

CNA reported court documents as saying that she had specifically chosen Christmas Day for vandalizing the charity as “it was a Christian holiday and the offence had been intended as an act of protest against the Salvation Army.”

Ong’s actions caused damage that cost the Salvation Army S$2,040 for the vandalism on the walls and S$1,350 for the spray paint on the three vans.

CNA also noted that Ong acknowledged that she had vandalised the Salvation Army’s property out of anger and that a psychiatric report did not show that she had any active mental disorders.

The police has noted how seriously it takes acts of vandalism, adding that offenders would be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.

People found guilty of vandalism in Singapore may be fined a maximum of $2,000 or jailed for as long as three years. Offenders may also be caned no less than three strokes and not more than eight strokes upon conviction, but as Ong is a woman, she cannot be caned. /TISG

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