Frenchman fined for mischief

[Dodomeki]

Jun 17, 2010
Frenchman fined for mischief

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
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A FRENCH national who damaged a fire alarm manual call point at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport was fined $5,000 on Thursday. Oil rig supervisor Antoine Mathieu Rongeot, 38, was originally accused of a more serious charge of vandalism which carries a minimum of three strokes of the cane. He admitted to a reduced charge of mischief. Two other charges of using abusive words on cops were considered during his sentencing.

District Judge John Ng ordered him to compensate $1,860 to the victim by June 23. Rongeot's lawyer Wendell Wong said full restitution would be made and the funds were with his law firm. A district court heard that Rongeot, who works in Balikpapan, Indonesia, was on transit at Terminal 1 to catch a connecting flight to Paris when he had too many drinks. He was seen by two aviation security officers walking towards a door with a fire alarm manual call point on it and punching it when he could not open the door. He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined.

 

[SwineHunter]

French vandal pleads guilty


French vandal pleads guilty
By Ong Dai Lin | Posted: 17 June 2010 2239 hrs
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SINGAPORE : A Frenchman who vandalised airport equipment at Changi Airport last Friday blamed the BP oil spill and the Icelandic volcanic ash for his outburst.

Oil rig supervisor, Antonie Mathieu Rongeot, 38, was on his way home to Paris from Indonesia on June 11. While waiting for his connecting flight to Paris in the Terminal 1 transit area, he tried to open a door but failed to do so as it was locked.

He then punched the fire alarm manual call point on the door, damaging it. An aviation security officer called the airport police and he was arrested. He was charged in court the next day.

He pleaded guilty on Thursday and was fined S$5,000 for committing mischief. Rongeot was also ordered to pay Changi Airport Group the repair cost of the fire alarm manual call point, which was S$1,860.

He faced four charges, including one of behaving in a disorderly manner in public, which the prosecution acquitted him of. It was not explained why he was acquitted.

Rongeot's lawyer, Mr Wendell Wong, told the court the Frenchman was remorseful for his action and was prepared to make full restitution. He said that Rongeot was stressed from work and was returning home after a four-week work stint at an oil rig in Indonesia.

As an oil rig supervisor and coupled with the pressure that the industry faced from the BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Rongeot was "stressed and lost his control".

Rongeot was also infected with scabies at that time and his condition affected his ability to rest, said his lawyer. He added that Rongeot lost his cool when an Air France stewardess told him that he might not be able to make his connecting flight.

That reminded him of the experience of being trapped in Changi Airport when flights were stopped because of the ash from the Icelandic volcano eruption in April. Rongeot could have be jailed up to two years, or fined, or both.

- CNA/al

 

[Yue Ying]

Frenchmen fined for mischief


Jun 18, 2010
Frenchmen fined for mischief

<!-- by line --> By By Elena Chong
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Frenchman Antoine Mathieu Rongeot punched a fire alarm manual call point at Changi Airport.

<!-- story content : start --> A FRENCH oil rig supervisor who damaged a fire alarm call point at Changi Airport was fined $5,000 yesterday for mischief. Antoine Mathieu Rongeot, 38, was originally charged last Saturday with the more serious offence of vandalism, which carries a punishment of at least three strokes of the cane.
He had been on remand till Tuesday, when he was bailed out.

In court yesterday, he pleaded guilty to using his hand to punch the fire alarm manual call point in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1 last Friday. District Judge John Ng also ordered him to compensate Changi Airport for the damaged property with a sum of $1,860 by next Wednesday. His lawyer Wendell Wong had told the court that Rongeot had raised sufficient funds and was ready to make restitution.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.