Singaporean Jian Kangyue along with three other people (Scott Dennett, James Elton, and Larissa Bell) appeared before the Camberwell Magistrates Court in London on November 29, Thursday, having been accused of damaging the bonnet and windshield of an ambulance during this year’s World Cup frenzy, when Sweden was defeated by England at the quarterfinals.
Netizens, however, were quick to denounce Jian simply based on his name, suggesting that he is not a ‘real Singaporean,’ but someone who recently moved from China. Many surmised that he is a new citizen in the country, with some even saying that his citizenship needs to be revoked.
The damage that Jian, Dennet, Elton, and Bell reportedly caused cost £6,867.42 (S$12,007) and the ambulance could not be used for 34 days. Jian and Elton have pleaded not guilty while the other two accused have yet to enter pleas.
Jian, a former student of the Singapore Management University, is a “junior JP Morgan trader” also known as Perry Jian, according to the efinancialcareers website.
Photos and videos on social media were able to capture fans celebrating England’s football team’s win, which unfortunately included damages inflicted on the ambulance, which was parked while emergency technicians were attending to an injured person in the crowd. The accused, now out on bail, were arrested and questioned by the police and will appear in court again on January 8.
They could face up to 12 weeks jail time if found guilty of criminal damage charges. The prosecuting attorney said, however, that all four accused are “of good character.”
Back home, Jian faced another trial of sorts when reports of the damage he and the three other accused were published. No one knows if Jian is from China, but Singaporeans responding to the news of Jian’s alleged wrongdoing were quick to point to his racial origins.
Thankfully, others called for netizens to keep cooler heads, saying that “as long as he holds our citizenship, he is Singaporean.”
