SINGAPORE - He has taken so many up-skirt videos of women that he does not know the exact number of victims. In his latest attempt, Euan Liew Sheng Qi, 26, targeted a woman at Bedok Reservoir MRT station, who called the police after she suspected that she was a victim. On Wednesday (Dec 1), Liew, a fresh graduate who has just started working, was sentenced to four weeks' jail for insulting the modesty of a woman by filming an up-skirt video. It was not stated in court documents which school he graduated from nor his occupation. The Singaporean first saw the 26-year-old woman at the platform of MacPherson MRT station on the way home at 9pm on July 17. They sat next to each other when the train arrived. "While on board the train, (Liew) glanced at her repeatedly, as he thought she was attractive," Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng told the court. At around 9.45pm, they alighted at Bedok Reservoir station and Liew decided to take an up-skirt video. When she took the escalator heading up, he stood two steps behind her and raised his right leg up one step. He placed his wallet and phone on top of his knee, with the camera facing upwards. She felt a slight brush on her right thigh and turned to see the phone on Liew's knee near the bottom of her skirt. She waited for him at the station's fare gantry to confront him. Realising he may have been caught, Liew loitered near the escalator and deleted the video he took. She pretended to leave the station, hoping to lure him past the gantry, but eventually called the police. They traced Liew, who presented himself for investigations. DPP Heng said: "When interviewed by the police, the accused admitted that he had taken up-skirt videos on other occasions but could not recall how many times he had done so. He deleted the videos after using them to satisfy his own urges." The phone was seized by the police and no up-skirt footage was found, said DPP Heng, who sought a jail term of four to six weeks. She said Liew should not be considered a first-time offender, given that he admitted that this was not his first attempt at filming such videos. More on this topic Related Story Jail for financial analyst who took upskirt videos and had nearly 500 voyeuristic clips Related Story Youth, now 20, started taking upskirt videos when he was between 12 and 15 years old Defence lawyer B. Rajendraprasad urged the judge to issue a short-detention order or a fine, as Liew was a fresh graduate who had just started working, and a jail sentence could affect his career. A short detention order is a community sentence in which offenders are detained in prison for up to 14 days but will not have a criminal record after their release. District Judge Kevin Kwek ruled that a jail term was better suited to deter such offences and said: "Deterrence is relevant given that cameras are coming in all shapes and sizes... the perverse can use this technology anywhere. "A strong message should be sent to those who harbour such thoughts." Before heading to jail, Liew was given 10 minutes to speak with his parents, who gripped his hands tightly across the dock before they parted ways. For insulting the modesty of a woman, he could have faced a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a fine. More on this topic Related Story Jail for doctor who hid camera in shoe, took more than 3,000 upskirt videos Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - A recalcitrant offender who had earlier been released from prison reoffended and punched an SG clean ambassador at Maxwell Food Centre after the latter told him to wear his mask properly. In December last year, K. Chandra Segaran was sentenced to five weeks' jail for assault. The driver was at the eatery in April when he assaulted his latest victim, Mr Brandon Ong, 28. Chandra also hurled obscenity-laced racial insults at him. The 54-year-old Singaporean was on Friday (Oct 1) sentenced to seven weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to one count each of assault, harassment and an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. As an SG clean ambassador, Mr Ong was tasked to ensure that people at the food centre in Kadayanallur Street near Chinatown adhered to safe distancing measures. Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee said that at around 1pm on April 18, Mr Ong and an auxiliary police officer spotted Chandra walking around the eatery with his mask below his chin. He was not consuming any food or drinks at the time. Mr Ong asked Chandra to wear his mask properly but the older man ignored him. When Mr Ong repeated his request, Chandra punched the SG clean ambassador once on the left side of his face and verbally abused him. The auxiliary police officer's body-worn camera managed to record Chandra's antics. The court heard that Mr Ong did not suffer any visible injuries after the attack and did not seek medical attention. The auxiliary policeman alerted the police and officers arrived at the scene. Despite this, Chandra still refused to don his mask properly and was later arrested. The DPP said: "Whilst the victim was not a law enforcement officer or public servant in the strict sense, the victim was merely trying to request that the accused abide by the law. "From the footage, we can hear that the accused had defiantly told the victim and the witness that he would give them trouble if they wanted it. The accused's reaction was completely unwarranted and occurred after he had punched the victim on the face." For assault, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $5,000. More on this topic Related Story Man jailed for using racial slur on NEA officers, wiping hands on one of them Related Story Man jailed 17 months for head-butting police officer, using racial slur against another
SINGAPORE - A woman who slapped her maid so hard that the domestic worker suffered a temporary loss of hearing was sentenced to seven months' jail on Wednesday (April 14). Gayathri Iyer, 51, was convicted in February following a trial of two counts of abusing her maid - Myanmar national Thang Khaw Lam. The 30-year-old victim suffered hearing loss in her left ear for at least a month. She later recovered from her injuries and was found to have normal hearing. Ms Thang Khaw Lam started working for Gayathri's family in June 2017 at the Pebble Bay condominium in Tanjong Rhu Road. On Oct 27 that year, the housewife hit the maid's shoulder after the domestic worker used the word "mah" when talking to her. Using a mobile phone, Ms Thang Khaw Lam took photographs of the bruises, which were at the top of her shoulder and extended slightly to her back. The second incident happened on Dec 7 that year, when Gayathri slapped Ms Thang Khaw Lam for failing to wake up her son who was then in national service. The incident happened at around 5.40am when the domestic worker was doing the laundry. Gayathri slapped the maid twice on her left ear and once on her right. As a result, the maid said she could not hear anything in her left ear for the whole day. About five days after the incident, she ran from Gayathri's home and told the police about her ordeal. She recovered from her injuries by Sept 5, 2018. District Judge Tan Jen Tse acquitted Gayathri of two other assault charges involving the maid, finding the domestic worker's evidence in these instances not "unusually convincing". On Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Ee Kuan urged the court to jail the ex-counsellor at Changi Prison for nine months, saying there was an oppressive relationship between the maid and employer. Gayathri's lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan asked the court for a sentence of nine weeks, saying his client used to be a counsellor at Changi Prison, and had pledged to donate all of her organs despite being a Hindu. More on this topic Related Story Woman sentenced to 6 months' jail for hurting domestic helper who ran from flat to escape abuse Related Story Jail for housewife who forced maid to hit mouth 50 times with meat pounder District Judge Tan Jen Tse, in sentencing Gayathri to seven months' jail, said the prosecution had not proven beyond reasonable doubt that there was a sustained pattern of abuse, and he was not able to find that the victim had suffered psychological harm. He also ordered Gayathri to make compensation of about $5,330 to the maid. The accused is appealing against the sentence, and is on bail for $15,000. For each count of assaulting a maid, she could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to $7,500. More on this topic Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - Feeling upset over personal issues, a maid decided to vent her unhappiness on a one-year-old baby boy under her care by abusing him with acts such as stepping on his leg and pushing his head until he fell. Indonesian Suliana Kasim Dapok, 42, was sentenced on Monday (April 5) to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of ill-treating the child. The baby cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his identity and details about his home have been redacted from court documents. The court heard that Suliana started working for his family in October 2018. Her duties included taking care of her employer's four children. The baby was at home at around 11.15am on May 8 last year when he vomited on a carpet in the living room. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ben Mathias Tan said: "The accused was in the process of cleaning the carpet with detergent when the victim walked towards the accused. "As the accused did not want the victim to come into contact with the detergent, the accused elbowed the victim in his face, causing the victim to fall to the floor and cry." Suliana was walking towards the kitchen after wiping the carpet when she thought that the baby would grab her leg. To prevent him from doing so, and out of frustration from having to clean the vomitus, she stepped on his right knee, causing him to cry even louder. Suliana continued to abuse the child in the living room about 20 minutes later, the court heard. The DPP said: "The accused was sitting on the sofa folding the laundry. The accused motioned for the victim to come over, which the victim did. "The accused then pushed the victim's head, causing him to fall to the floor. The accused thereafter grabbed the victim's leg to pull him towards her, and checked the victim's diapers." While getting up from the sofa to put away the clothes, Suliana stepped on the baby's right leg, causing him to cry. A closed-circuit television camera inside the flat caught her committing the acts of abuse and his mother alerted the police at 1.12pm that day. The baby was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital about an hour later and he was found with bruising along his spine. For each count of ill-treating a child, an offender can be jailed for up to eight years and fined up to $8,000. More on this topic Related Story Jail for maid who dipped baby's hand in hot water Related Story Jail for maid whose negligence caused a toothbrush to be stuck in boy's throat
SINGAPORE - An engineer with a doctorate was on Tuesday (Feb 9) sentenced to 18 days' jail for molesting a 39-year-old woman on an MRT train. Shen Ruifu, who holds a PhD in geotech, a branch of civil engineering, committed the offence on a south-bound train as it was travelling from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan at around 7.45am on Dec 12, 2018. The 54-year-old previously worked at the National University of Singapore and had left in 2015. Defence lawyer Raphael Louis told District Judge Marvin Bay that his client committed the act of molestation at the spur of the moment and the offence did not involve skin-to-skin contact. The lawyer added that it was Shen's first brush with the law. For molestation, he could have been jailed for up to two years and fined or caned. More on this topic Related Story Two-week jail sentence for NUS student who molested woman on MRT Related Story Man, 55, jailed for rubbing against woman on MRT train
A man who has been in and out of jail since 2011 over sex offences involving multiple women is back behind bars for similar crimes committed in 2019 and last year. Appearing in a district court via video link, Jee Guang You, 33, was sentenced on Tuesday to 19 months' jail after pleading guilty to molesting an 18-year-old and insulting a 39-year-old woman's modesty in separate incidents. The Singaporean man was earlier sentenced to six months' jail and fined $600 in 2011, after committing similar offences. He reoffended after his release and was sent to jail twice just two years later - once for insulting a woman's modesty and another time for molestation. Jee was later found to be suffering from abnormal sexual urges and was sentenced to a year's mandatory treatment order (MTO) in 2016 for peeping at women in public restrooms. This means he had to undergo treatment to address his mental issues in lieu of jail time. But the MTO was revoked when he reoffended yet again and was sentenced to 19 months' jail in 2017. Jee committed similar crimes in 2019 and last year, after his last release from prison. He was at a lift lobby of a Church Street building near Raffles Place at around noon on June 24, 2019, when he spotted the 39-year-old woman. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Huo Jiongrui said that Jee then decided to hold his mobile phone under her skirt "for the thrill of it". The pair took the same lift down before going their separate ways. Jee was caught after security officers viewed closed-circuit television footage of the area and saw him behaving in a suspicious manner. The police were alerted the next day. Separately, he was riding on a train towards Jurong East station at around 9.30am on March 23 last year when he spotted the younger woman. Jee then sat beside the teenager who nodded off soon after. The court heard that he found the woman attractive and "felt like he wanted her to be his girlfriend". The DPP said: "He started to lean in closer to her. When his shoulder touched hers, she did not react. The accused got excited and wanted to see how much further he could go." He molested the woman who woke up after she felt somebody touching her chest. She saw Jee sitting beside her and tried to snap his picture, but he turned away. She tried to chase after him when the train pulled up at Jurong East station, but he managed to get away. She lodged a police report at around noon that day. The Singaporean man was earlier sentenced to six months' jail and fined $600 in 2011, after committing similar offences. He reoffended after his release and was sent to jail twice just two years later - once for insulting a woman's modesty and another time for molestation.
SINGAPORE - A tennis coach was jailed on Friday (Dec 18) for kissing his underage male student and performing sexual acts on him. The prosecution told a district court that Phoo Siang Qing had abused the trust placed in him and performed such acts on the boy who was just 15 years old at the time. The 40-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to two years and nine months' jail for committing the offences in 2013 and 2014. He had pleaded guilty to two charges under the Children and Young Persons Act and one count of sexual penetration involving the minor. Defence lawyer Peter Fernando had pleaded for his client to be given 16 months' jail, stressing that Phoo is "sincerely repentant". Mr Fernando also told Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun that Phoo had found that he was not attracted to women and has a history of "severe depression". The lawyer added that Phoo has sought treatment and is compliant with his medication. More on this topic Related Story Veteran coach gets 21 months' jail for molesting teen athlete Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - For more than three years, Chinese national Chen Bichun paid for new forged passport stamps in order to remain in Singapore illegally to work as a sex worker. Her illicit stay started on March 19, 2016 and came to an end on July 23, 2019, when she was finally caught in a Balestier hotel room during a police raid. On Thursday (Nov 5), Chen was sentenced to 14 months' jail and a $2,000 fine for two charges, one under the Immigration Act and another for the forged documents. One other similar charge was taken into consideration during sentencing. The court heard that her passport contained 19 entry stamps and an application to extend her short-term visit pass, all of which were forged. Investigations found that Chen came to Singapore on March 4, 2016 and was granted 14 days of stay on a social visit pass. A friend then told her that she could help her stay in Singapore and make it seem to the authorities that Chen's stay was legal. Each extension would cost $200 and last about two months. Chen agreed to the arrangement. After her friend was arrested in April 2017 and repatriated to China, Chen started getting contacted by an unidentified person to get the extensions. She was finally caught on July 23, 2019 during a police raid at Balestier Hotel. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) confirmed that the 19 entry stamps and an application to extend a short-term visit pass were forged, after her People's Republic of China passport was seized. More on this topic Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories Further investigations found she had stayed in Singapore illegally for a total of 1,222 days, or about three years and four months. Deputy Public Prosecutor R. Arvindren urged the court to sentence Chen to at least 15 months' jail and impose a $2,000 fine, noting that Chen "went on a pattern of conduct to get forged stamps". In sentencing Chen, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said that the sentence was appropriate to reflect the seriousness of the crimes and deter other like-minded offenders from following suit.
SINGAPORE - A domestic helper hit her employer's one-month-old baby three times on his back to "vent her stress". Indonesian Lana Ngizatul Mona, 26, was caught after the infant's mother viewed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident. The baby boy sustained a bruise on his right shoulder as a result of the incident. Lana was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 21) to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of ill-treating the baby, who cannot be named owing to a gag order. The child's mother had employed Lana, who started working at the woman's flat near Hougang on Feb 26. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei told the court the maid was tasked to care for her employer's four children and perform general household chores. The mother was in her bedroom at around 7.30am on April 30 when she heard the baby crying loudly in the living room. She checked the CCTV footage and saw Lana hitting her son's back three times. The DPP added: "In the CCTV footage, the accused is seen hitting the victim on the back with her wrist. The victim cried immediately. "The accused was next seen hitting the victim on the back with her fist twice, causing the victim to cry again. All three blows were forceful and had audible impact." Lana later told investigators that she had hit the infant due to stress. More on this topic Related Story 27 years' jail for parents of 5-year-old boy who was scalded with hot water, confined in cage before his death Related Story Maid who abused child and lied about it jailed 6 months Her employer alerted the police that morning and the child was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. On Wednesday, DPP Tan urged District Judge Salina Ishak to sentence Lana to at least nine months' jail. The prosecutor said: "The victim was only one month old at the material time and was absolutely defenceless against the offender. "He was unable to run away from the offender and his only means of expressing his distress at her blows was to cry." For ill-treating a child, an offender can be jailed for up to eight years and fined up to $8,000. More on this topic Related Story Slight fall in child abuse last year to 1,088 cases, but physical abuse spikes to 10-year high Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories