A 29-year-old Singaporean, who has been held in custody in Australia since 2024, has been sentenced to nearly six years in jail after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Back in 2024, Lincoln Ng Jing Kai traveled to Perth, Australia, where he planned to propose to his girlfriend.
Things took a turn when a thief smashed the window of their rental vehicle and stole his partner’s brother’s bag.
According to ABC, Ng arrived in Australia in May 2024. He was accompanied by his girlfriend and her family.
During the trip, while the group parked their rental van to eat food, Mark John Burns smashed the car window to grab a backpack belonging to Wesley Teo, Ng’s partner’s brother.
The bag contained his passport, an iPad, cash and an AirTag tracker.
The group reported the theft to police and notified them that the AirTag was moving. Police told them to call back once the AirTag stabilised.
When the group checked on the AirTag the following day, they saw it pointing to a nearby construction site.
They notified police and drove to the area where they found Burns with the backpack.
They then pursued Burns in their rental vehicle while the man escaped on his e-bike.
During the chase, someone in the vehicle told Ng to give the e-bike a “tap”.
Ng hit the e-bike on its back wheel, causing Burns fall off his ride.
He then picked up his bike then made threats at Ng, calling him a “dog” and that he would be dead.
Afraid that the man would attack, Ng tried to reverse the car but instead accelerated straight into Burns.
He hit the man and dragged him underneath the vehicle for around 25 metres.
Multiple bystanders banged on the car trying to get Ng to stop.
Source: 9news
Burns, who was in his 40s, was conveyed to the hospital where he was declared dead. Ng waited at the scene where he was arrested by police.
He was initially charged with murder, but pleaded down to manslaughter.
The judge considered his guilty plea, lack of criminal history, and remorse as mitigating factors.
Ng was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail on Monday (2 Nov).
The sentence is backdated to 24 May 2024, when he was first taken into custody — meaning he will be eligible for parole in three years and nine months.
Also read: S’porean driver charged with murder in Australia after hitting & dragging cyclist
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Featured image adapted from 9news and KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Canva. Right image is for illustration purposes only.