Man admits making crossbow to shoot ball bearings at crows

A 59-year-old Singaporean man, Seah Yam Seng, has pleaded guilty to a rash act after constructing a makeshift crossbow to shoot ball bearings at crows in his housing estate. Seah was reportedly annoyed by the noise the birds made and took matters into his own hands.

Seah purchased materials online in 2024 to assemble the device, which is classified as a weapon under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act. He also bought metal ball bearings with the intention of targeting the crows. Between April and July of the previous year, he fired ball bearings from his window towards trees and a linkway on at least five occasions whenever the bird noise agitated him.

While Seah did not intend to harm passers-by, he was aware that people frequented the area and that the ball bearings sometimes missed their intended targets, striking other objects. Despite this knowledge, he continued his actions when provoked by the crows' noise.

The dangerous behavior came to an end when a neighbor observed Seah aiming his device and subsequently filed a police report. Seah has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, which has been identified as a contributing factor to his offense. The court has called for a report to assess his suitability for a mandatory treatment order, with sentencing adjourned to August.