S'pore man, 69, convicted of breaching protection order by singing & banging cans outside neighbour's flat - Mothership

Sentencing has been adjourned to Oct. 21, 2026.

Photo from Chris Johnson/Unsplash (for illustrative purposes only).

A 69-year-old Singaporean man has been convicted of breaching a protection order taken out by his neighbours after he sang and struck metal outside their flat for about 11 minutes.

Heng Choo Hwi, whose trial began earlier in August 2026, was convicted in court on Sep. 28, 2026.

He had contested a charge of breaching the order by making loud noises outside his neighbours’ home on Feb. 5, 2026.

Sentencing has been adjourned to Oct. 21, 2026.

It was reported that Heng initially had a friendly relationship with his neighbours, a married couple, Alvin Chan and Sheryl Seet.

However, their relationship later soured, with the couple alleging that Heng had repeatedly harassed them.

In December 2025, they applied for an expedited protection order against Heng, which took effect on Jan. 19, 2026.

The order prohibited him from discharging or placing liquid in the common corridor, making abusive or insulting gestures towards the couple, and deliberately making loud noises in the immediate vicinity of their flat.

Heng claimed that the order had not been properly served on him.

However, CCTV footage showed him seated outside his unit with several items as a man approached him and showed him some documents.

The man was a process server who had gone to serve Heng with the protection order.

Weeks later, Heng was accused of breaching the order.

According to court documents seen by Mothership, at about 5:35pm on Feb. 5, 2026, Chan called the police and reported that Heng was singing and striking metal objects outside his flat.

Chan also told the court that when he returned home from work, Heng saw him and began banging cans loudly and singing.

He said the noises continued even after he entered his flat.

The prosecution sought two to three weeks' jail for Heng, saying that the victims had felt "extremely uncomfortable and unsafe", CNA reported.

Heng was unrepresented in court and listened to proceedings through a Mandarin interpreter.

He told the court that he was working part-time and if he went to jail, he would lose his job.

If convicted of breaching the expedited protection order, Heng can face up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

Heng had earlier argued that he had the liberty to do his "own things" outside his Yishun flat.

According to CNA, the judge rejected his arguments.

The judge said an individual's liberty is subject to the law, including court orders such as the expedited protection order.

Heng also claimed that he had left the protection order in a basket containing old newspapers, which was later cleared by the town council.

As such, he had not read the order, Heng said.

He further claimed that town council staff refused to return the documents when he asked for them back.

The judge was unconvinced by Heng's account, noting that Heng had acknowledged that the documents were important.

It therefore made little sense for him to have left them outside his flat, the judge said.

The judge also rejected Heng's explanation that he had "trusted" the security in Singapore, noting that the area outside his flat could be accessed by members of the public.

He found it "implausible" that the town council would have thrown away Heng's court documents and newspapers despite his protests.

The judge found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted Heng.