SINGAPORE: Frustrated that he had trouble getting past a parked vehicle to get into his car, a driver deliberately scratched the stranger's vehicle.

Tan Eng Ann, 57, was fined S$700 on Monday (Sep 28) for one count of mischief over the incident at the basement car park of Jem shopping mall.

The court heard that the victim, a 28-year-old man, had driven to Jem for dinner with his family at about 7.10pm on Mar 8 this year.

He parked his vehicle to the right of Tan's car, and beside the pillar. The victim's car was "well within the parking lot", according to court documents.

Tan's car was close to the rightmost boundaries of his lot, with the front right wheel on the white boundary line, said the court documents.

At about 8.20pm, Tan returned to his car with several plastic bags. He placed the bags in the back seat of his car before trying to move to the driver's seat, but had difficulty navigating the narrow space between the two vehicles.

Frustrated that the space between his car and the victim's was narrow, Tan used an unidentified object to scratch both left doors of the victim's vehicle before leaving.

The victim returned minutes later and discovered the scratches. He filed a police report and paid S$350 to repair his vehicle.

Tan reimbursed the victim after pleading guilty earlier this month.

For committing mischief, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.