A HOUSEWIFE rigged up a hidden video camera to catch a neighbour
who scratched her car in a feud over noise and leaking water.
Madam Lim Cheng Yong installed the device in her car after
repeatedly discovering marks on the paintwork.
The footage showed Hoo Siew Cheng, 35, scratching the car with a
sharp object under cover of darkness.
Yesterday, the operations manager was fined $1,000 and ordered
to pay Madam Lim $500 in compensation.
The court heard that Hoo had been feuding with Madam Lim - who
lived directly above her - since 2005.
She blamed Madam Lim for water seeping through the ceiling and
loud noises late at night. These are said to have included drilling
and hammering, and the sound of heavy furniture being moved about
and marbles being thrown on the floor.
Then in January last year, Madam Lim, who is in her 50s, started to
discover scratches on her car, court papers showed.
Exasperated, she installed the camera. It recorded Hoo
scratching the left side of the vehicle in front of Block 190,
Punggol Central, at 9.35pm on May 7 last year.
Madam Lim then lodged a Magistrate's Complaint through lawyer
Winston Quek.
At the hearing before District Judge Sarjit Singh yesterday, Hoo
pleaded guilty to committing mischief by damaging the paintwork of
the car with a sharp object.
Her lawyer argued that it was not a "calculated, premeditated
act of revenge and defiance, but rather an act of
desperation and hopelessness" as Hoo could no longer tolerate
the problems with her neighbour.
He said the women had taken their disagreement to the Community
Mediation Centre and a settlement was reached in March last year.
However, the noises and other problems continued.
Hoo could have been fined up to $10,00 and/or jailed for up to a
year.
(Taken from The Straits Times, Thursday, June 9 2011, Page B11)
