SINGAPORE - A man who created a ruckus at Changi Airport, including setting fire to a curtain blind and verbally abusing an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer, has been sentenced to 21 weeks’ jail.
Korkmaz Hasan, 34, was given the sentence on April 21 after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges for offences including harassment and using criminal force on public servants.
The incident involving the Australian man took place in December 2024 after the Malaysian authorities flagged him as a “prohibited immigrant” and barred him from entering their country.
Court documents did not disclose why Korkmaz, who was attempting to travel from Melbourne to Langkawi via Singapore, had been flagged as a “prohibited immigrant”.
After he returned to Singapore and committed the offences at the airport, he caused more trouble at a police lock-up facility and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where he was remanded for psychiatric assessment.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ethan Lee told the court that Korkmaz arrived in Singapore at around 5pm on Dec 11, 2024, after the Malaysian authorities turned him away.
Korkmaz was then referred to the ICA and about two hours later, he was taken to a Sats inadmissible passenger room at Changi Airport Terminal 2, where he had to wait before he was sent back to Australia.
Shortly before 1.40am the next day, Korkmaz told a Sats security officer that he wanted to smoke and grew impatient about five minutes later.
Korkmaz then walked to a nearby fire extinguisher and discharged it for about three seconds.
He also flung wet tissue paper at CCTV cameras and poured coffee onto some documents at a reception counter.
When a group of ICA officers entered the room, he verbally abused one of them.
At around 2.20am, Korkmaz moved to the rear of a dining area within the room and moved around furniture there to form a “barricade”.
Four police officers later arrived at the scene and he discharged a fire extinguisher at them.
Korkmaz also used a lighter to set fire to a curtain blind that he had pulled down, and “continued discharging the fire extinguisher and throwing water bottles at the (ICA and police) officers to keep them away”, DPP Lee said.
Sats estimated that the damaged curtain blind would cost $1,000 to replace, the prosecutor added.
Shortly after 6.30am on Dec 12, 2024, Korkmaz was arrested and taken to a lock-up at Bedok Police Divisional Headquarters.
Still unhappy that he was not allowed to smoke, he splashed water at items including an exhaust fan in a remand cell.
He was then taken to a padded cell where he committed an act of mischief by picking at the padded floor, causing more than $2,000 in damage.
He finally stopped doing so when a police officer entered the cell and restrained him.
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On Dec 13, 2024, Korkmaz was remanded at the IMH, where he climbed into a space above a false ceiling.
Court documents did not disclose if he was suffering from any mental ailments at the time.
DPP Lee told the court that Korkmaz damaged several items in the space above the false ceiling before the police officers arrived.
Korkmaz continued to break multiple ceiling boards and tampered with items such as wires nearby. His antics at IMH caused more than $2,600 in damage.
He finally came down from the space after he was promised a cigarette, and IMH staff members restrained him.
- Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
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