A 29-year-old Singaporean tourist has been sentenced to 5 years and 9 months in prison in Australia after he chased a man who stole a backpack from his rental car and fatally ran him over. The incident took place in Perth in May 2024.
He was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in August. The following day, the family used the AirTag to track the stolen backpack to an area near a construction site. They contacted the police and went to the location, where they spotted Burnes riding an electric bicycle with what looked like the stolen bag. During the pursuit, his girlfriend’s brother remained in contact with the police. The car struck Burnes, who went under it. Kai eventually reversed the vehicle, freeing Burnes, and waited at the roadside for the police to arrive. Burnes was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The judge acknowledged that Kai had not intended to seriously injure Burnes and had believed that the man posed an immediate threat.
Kai’s girlfriend’s father instructed him to follow Burnes, prompting a chase that lasted approximately 10 minutes through the streets of Carlisle, a suburb of Perth. Kai continued driving for approximately 25 metres while Burnes remained caught under the front wheel, despite bystanders shouting and banging on the car’s window. Kai’s sentence has been backdated to May 24, 2024, when he was first taken into custody. He will be eligible for parole after serving 3 years and 9 months.
During sentencing, Justice Terence Palmer said Kai’s actions involved “an element of taking the law into your own hands and a degree of vigilantism”. Lincoln Ng Jing Kai was sentenced on Monday by the Supreme Court of Western Australia over the death of Mark John Burnes, according to a report by The Independent.
He had also planned to propose to his girlfriend during the trip. Kai was visiting Perth for an 8-day holiday with his girlfriend and her family.
