Police have been going from door to door at a condominium in Spottiswoode Park Road in search of the person responsible for causing a wine bottle to fall from a height on a 74-year-old delivery driver, who died a day after the incident.

Residents at the Spottiswoode 18 condominium told The Straits Times that the police showed them a picture of an Italian wine bottle and asked if they had been drinking wine and were willing to provide fingerprint samples.

Resident Jeremy Tan, 30, said the police visited his home on Tuesday night to ask if he drank wine or knew of troublemakers in the area.

“They showed us a picture of an Italian wine bottle and asked if we were willing to provide biometric samples if called upon,” added Mr Tan, who runs a skincare distribution business.

He said it seemed unlikely the bottle fell accidentally from a flat as the balconies of the apartments in the block are not directly above the barbecue pit area, where Mr Nasiari Sunee collapsed after being hit by a bottle.

The grandfather of nine was at the condominium for a relative’s housewarming party on Sunday when the bottle struck the top of his head, ricocheted and hit his 69-year-old wife. He was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where he died on Monday morning.

Residents told The Straits Times there are overhangs that would obstruct items falling from a balcony from reaching the barbecue area, including a small ledge that extends out of each balcony.

Mr Liam O’Neill, 30, a personal trainer, said the barbecue pit is “just too far away” from the balconies of the flats, adding that it was the first time he has heard of such an incident at the condominium.

Residents also said that it would be difficult to identify the culprit even if the police checked the bottle for fingerprints.

Glass bottles are often left next to the rubbish chute on every floor, as the building’s management had asked residents to do so to prevent glass shattering in the chute.

“Someone could have taken a bottle from near the chute and dropped it, but the original owner’s fingerprints would still be on it,” a woman in her 30s said yesterday.

Residents had complained about high-rise littering, she added, but they were mainly about small items like cigarette butts.

While litterbugs who throw small items such as cigarette butts or tissue paper could be punished under the Environmental Public Health Act with a fine and/or Corrective Work Order, those who throw bigger items that endanger lives could face criminal charges, said lawyers.

Lawyer Rajan Supramaniam said that even if the items had accidentally fallen out of a building, the person responsible could be charged with committing a negligent act and be sentenced to jail and/or a fine.

Litterbugs could also be charged with committing a rash act, like in this case, he added, when their act is seen as reckless and without care for consequences.

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