Machine operator gets 18 months for molesting intellectually disabled teenager
Hassan Mahmood, 62, was jailed for 18 months on Friday (Dec 4).
Published Dec 4, 2015, 4:52 pm SGT
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent
SINGAPORE - A machine operator was jailed for 18 months on Friday (Dec 4) for molesting an intellectually disabled teenage girl.
Hassan Mahmood, 62, admitted to inserting his hand into the 18-year-old's underwear and touching her; and lifting her T-shirt and squeezing her breasts at a staircase landing of a block of flats in Bukit Panjang on May 21 this year.
The court heard that the girl, who has moderately severe intellectual disability, left her home that evening after telling her mother she wanted to go to the void deck to retrieve a book which she had accidentally left behind earlier.
When she came out of the lift, Hassan approached her and asked if she liked kittens.
She said yes and he offered to show her where some kittens would be.
He led her up to the second floor.
As she was afraid, he held onto her hand and shoulders so as to guide her up the flight of stairs.
When they were half-way up between the first and second floor staircase landing, he molested her. The victim pushed him away and ran down the flight of stairs.
She ran home and told her mother and they reported the matter to the police.
Hassan, who was unrepresented, said he was truly remorseful and promised not to repeat the offence.
The prosecution sought a sentence of two years' jail, but District Judge John Ng said he was not convinced that the jail term should be thatlong.
But he said that there were aggravating factors. He told Hassan that he should not prey on such vulnerable victims after serving his sentence.
Hassan, who could have been jailed for up to two years and fined, escaped caning due to his age.