World · East Asia & Pacific · 5 hrs ago
Singaporean jailed for fatal pursuit of backpack thief in Australia
A 29-year-old Singaporean was jailed for five years and nine months in Australia after fatally driving over a man who stole a backpack from his rental car.
The case involved Lincoln Ng Jing Kai and Mark John Burnes in Perth, Western Australia.
Ng was visiting Perth on holiday with his girlfriend and her family when Burnes stole the backpack from their car.
The family used an AirTag in the bag to track its location and later saw Burnes riding an e-bike with what appeared to be the stolen backpack.
Ng chased Burnes for about 10 minutes and knocked him off the bike before driving over him.
Ng had first faced a murder charge but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in August after prosecutors accepted the lesser charge.
The judge said Ng's actions involved taking the law into his own hands and a degree of vigilantism.
A 29-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in Australia after fatally driving over a man who stole a backpack from his rental car.
Lincoln Ng Jing Kai chased Mark John Burnes in a car and knocked him off his e-bike before driving over him.
Ng was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in August after prosecutors agreed to accept the lesser charge.
The theft and fatal pursuit took place in Perth, Western Australia, during Ng’s holiday there with his girlfriend and her family.
A judge said Ng’s actions involved taking the law into his own hands, although he did not intend to seriously injure Burnes and expected police to arrive.
- Who
- Lincoln Ng Jing Kai, a 29-year-old Singaporean man, and Mark John Burnes, the man he fatally hit.
- What
- Ng was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
- When
- Ng was sentenced on Monday, November 2, according to CNA. The fatal incident happened in 2024.
- Where
- Perth, Western Australia, including the streets of Carlisle.
- Why
- Ng pursued Burnes after Burnes stole a backpack from Ng’s rental car.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Burnes broke into the rental car in East Victoria Park and took the backpack.
Ng and his girlfriend’s family tracked the backpack’s AirTag, pursued Burnes and Ng drove over him.
Ng pleaded guilty to manslaughter after prosecutors agreed to accept the lesser charge.
Ng was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in Australia.
- Sentence
- Five years and nine months in prison
- Defendant
- Lincoln Ng Jing Kai, 29
- Victim
- Mark John Burnes
- Original charge
- Murder; Ng pleaded guilty to manslaughter
- Location
- Carlisle, Perth, Western Australia
- Theft date
- May 23, 2024
3 sources
What people are saying
involved an element of taking the law into your own hands and a degree of vigilantism