Corpun file 17745

Straits Times, Singapore, 9 June 2006

Jail, cane for graffiti vandal

By Elena Chong

DELUSIONAL: But Brock Ernest Williams, 42, was found to be mentally sound when he vandalised public toilets.

The delusional disorder drove Brock Ernest Williams, 42, to believe staff in several MRT stations had deliberately harassed him while he undertook consumer surveys of commuters for insurance companies.

However, the US-educated graduate has still been sent to jail and caned for his offences, because a psychiatrist found that even though he was suffering from the serious mental illness, he was not of unsound mind at any time.

Williams, who committed a total of 91 offences, had initially been referred to the Community Court after he pleaded guilty last month to three charges of vandalising male toilets in Capitol Building, the National Library and Peninsula Plaza in March.

However, on Wednesday, District Judge Liew Thiam Leng felt the case was not appropriate for the Community Court and sentenced Williams to a total of eight months' jail and nine strokes of the cane for vandalism.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Magdalene Koh said Williams last held a freelance job doing surveys for local insurance companies near MRT stations.

He was arrested for vandalism on March 20 by police officers who were on the lookout near Capitol Building for suspects scribbling graffiti in the building's toilets.

Williams was accused of scribbling slogans related to the Jemaah Islamiah terror group as well as racist slogans at various places.

He pleaded for leniency, explaining to the court that he had problems with MRT staff and felt they were against him.

He said his behaviour was totally out of character. He was remorseful and embarrassed about what he had written, he added.

Williams' aunt also spoke up in his defence at an earlier hearing last month, telling the court her nephew was not a racist, and had been affected by the death of his parents.