SINGAPORE, Dec 9 — A 33-year-old man who sent threatening private messages to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment today.

District Judge Mathew Joseph noted that Tan Yeong Hong, who has paranoid schizophrenia, needed a period of incarceration and psychiatric treatment to stabilise him.

On June 24, Tan went to Lee’s Meet-the-People Session at Ang Mo Kio to pass him an article.

Upset that Lee was not present, he used his handphone to send four identical private messages to the Prime Minister’s Facebook account later that night.

The messages read: “Eh, You challenged me to visit your (Meet-the-People Sessions) but you are not here. I will find and stage an attack on you when I have information on your public appearances. You know who I am...”

Apart from one count of criminal intimidation, Tan was also found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to two police officers, who had approached him the following day for investigations.

Psychiatric reports found that Tan had a mental illness, but was fit to enter a plea in court.

“The report says that you need up to one year of treatment for your schizophrenia. The report also says that your own family is fearful of you,” said DJ Joseph.

Tan, however, pleaded for a lighter sentence.

“I have not committed any acts of violence or any violent crimes. I don’t agree with the IMH (Institute of Mental Health) report.”

His sentence will be backdated to June 27, the start of his remand. — TODAY