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An Indian-origin Singaporean serial prank caller landed in trouble on Thursday as he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for repeatedly making nuisance calls to the police. Gurucharan Singh, a 61-year-old cleaner, usually made the '999' emergency calls after being getting drunk, the court said.
The incidents occurred over two days in June with Singh making two calls on the first day and 15 on second. Earlier on June 10, Singh called the police using a public phone at a void deck of an apartment block in Chai Chee housing estate. In one of his calls, he told the operator: "You are stupid." He also said: "I put one dynamite to the immigration house."
In one of his calls, he told the operator: "You are stupid." He also said: "I put one dynamite to the immigration house."
Singapore authorities asked for a jail sentence of three years and nine months, noting that Singh reoffended while out on bail and breached his remission order, which makes him liable for an enhanced jail term.
District Judge Eddy Tham observed that Singh's "main issue is that of drinking" and "after drinking, the accused gets into all kinds of trouble".
Singh, who was unrepresented, apologised and pleaded for a lighter sentence.
However, the judge told Singh that his alcohol problem was a result of learned behaviour and his offences committed while he was in a state of intoxication were very serious, as they affected an important public service.
Sentencing him to three years of imprisonment, the court also ordered an additional enhanced jail term of 66 days for breaching his remission order.
