Man gets six months for molesting woman sleeping in her bedroom
Published on Jan 9, 2015 11:49 AM
By Elena Chong
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SINGAPORE - A graphic designer who stretched his hand through a window to molest a woman was sentenced to six months' jail on Friday.
Lee Ming Feng, 25, admitted to tapping the 25-year-old woman's breast in her bedroom at her home in the east at about 4.30am on April 20 last year.
A second charge of house trespass was taken into consideration during his sentencing.
The court heard that the victim was asleep and her bedroom was next to a sliding window which faced a common corridor. The sliding window was left ajar.
At about 4.30am, she felt someone touch her breast. She woke up and noticed a hand retreating outside the window.
She then informed her parents, and from his bedroom window her father saw Lee holding on to a high stool. He shouted at him, and called the police.
Investigation showed that Lee had with him the high stool as he was walking along the common corridor outside the victim's bedroom window.
When he reached the victim's bedroom window, he placed the high stool on the ground, climbed onto it, extended his left hand through the window opening and molested the victim.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Kuek Foo said this was a very serious offence. He said Lee had violated the victim's privacy at her own house, and that his act was deliberate.
Pleading for a chance, Lee said he was on his way home when he found a stool and thought it would be of some use to him.
District Judge May Mesenas said she agreed with the prosecution that there were aggravating factors in this case.
"People are meant to feel safe in their own homes. You said you found a stool, but you did not go straight home. Instead, you went on to another block to commit the offence,'' she said.
She allowed Lee to defer sentence until Feb 23. Bail of $15,000 was offered.
The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail, fine and caning.
