Jobless man 'burnedMTR bins on impulse'

A 51-year-old has been arrested for setting fire to rubbish bins at three MTR stations during a single night,with the jobless man saying he did it on impulse.

He was arrested outside his apartment in Lek Yuen Estate, Sha Tin, on Saturday in connection with four arson cases on February 26 - at platforms in Kowloon Bay, Choi Hung, and Wong Tai Sin stations, as well as on Lung Cheung Road outside Wong Tai Sin station.

"Under police caution, he admitted to committing arson during a moment of impulse," said Jack Mok Tsz-wai, chief inspector of the Wong Tai Sin crime squad.

Police made the arrest after checking CCTV footage.

"At his home, we found the clothes he wore at the time of the crime, as well as his backpack and Octopus card. The lighter he used was also found," Mok added.

Officers also discovered that the man took the wrong train on the night of the incident, having originally intended to travel home.

After mistakenly boarding a train going to Kowloon Bay, he decided to set fire to a rubbish bin on the platform at Kowloon Bay station and repeated his actions at Choi Hung and Wong Tai Sin.

It is understood that the man has had a history of mood disorders for two decades.

His arrest is currently not connected to the ongoing social unrest or any recent protests related to the Covid-19 outbreak.

According to reports from February 26, a rubbish bin in Kowloon Bay station was set alight at 11.25pm, before it was put out by MTR staff with no injuries.

Two minutes later, smoke engulfed a rubbish bin at Choi Hung station. The fire was again put out by staff, who reported the incident to police.

At 11.42pm, a rubbish bin was set alight at Wong Tai Sin station, with firefighter arriving at the scene and deeming the cause of the fire to be suspicious. Police later classified the cases as arson.

Mok warned that arson is a serious offense, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

amy.nip@singtaonewscorp.com