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Engineer jailed seven months for molesting woman on MRT train

Kyaw Myo That was jailed for seven months on Friday (July 8) for molesting a woman on board the East West Line MRT train. ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

Published Jul 8, 2016, 2:22 pm SGT
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - A mechanical and electrical supervisor was jailed for seven months on Friday (July 8) for molesting a woman on board the East-West Line MRT train.

Kyaw Myo That, 33, who holds an engineering degree from Mandalay Technological University, was convicted last month, after a two-day trial, of touching the 22-year-old woman's left bra area under her armpit when the train was travelling from Tanjong Pagar to City Hall station on May 8 last year.

The woman had testified that she boarded the train at Boon Lay that morning to go to work and found a seat to the left of a priority seat at Buona Vista station. Kyaw sat to her left.

She had her handbag on her lap with the handle resting under her left armpit.

She noticed Kyaw moving closer towards her from her left, but did not think much about it. Later, she felt the left side of her bra move. Thinking it was her bag, she moved the strap to the front.

However, in Tanjong Pagar station, she felt the movement again. When it became more vigorous, she looked down and saw Kyaw's three fingers on her left breast. She looked up and he smiled at her.

When the train left City Hall station, she immediately stood up and exited at Bugis station and Kyaw followed her.

Terrified, she called her cousin and asked her to stay on the phone with her. Kyaw followed her all the way until she reached her workplace before turning back.

The woman called her elder brother who had to calm her down for 20 minutes as she was crying. She made a police report the next day.

Kyaw denied touching her intentionally as he was sleeping intermittently. His case was that if he did touch her, it was accidental.

Convicting him last month, District Judge Eddy Tham said Kyaw gave a very clear account of the incident in his police statement. He had stated that he was feeling sleepy inside the train when he folded his arms across his chest, with his left hand under the right arm pit. This was consistent with the woman's version.

But in court, Kyaw departed from this to bolster his defence that he could not have done it, he said.

"I therefore have no problem finding that the accused did indeed touch PW1 (victim) on the left breast area with his left hand with three fingers while his left hand was underneath his right arm pit,'' he said.

He agreed with Deputy Public Prosecutor James Low that such offences in public transport must be strongly deterred due to the difficulty of victims realising whether the touch was accidental or not.

The victim in this case had given the benefit of doubt to Kyaw until she saw his fingers touch her breast area.

Kyaw could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment.

 

[khunking]

Judge dismisses worker's injury claims

His employer had seen to his medical bill and extra surgery, but he still sued for more

A judge has dismissed a case by a construction worker who took his employer to court after he caused himself a minor eye injury at work.
In a judgment on Monday, District Judge Chiah Kok Khun called Chinese national Wang Baoshun "wholly opportunistic" for using the accident to try and get more money from his former employer, B19 Technologies. Even though the firm had paid his medical bill, and picked up the tab for additional surgery to fix a childhood eye condition, Mr Wang sued it for compensation 1½ years after the accident.
The 36-year-old from Jiangsu province had been nailing a corrugated metal sheet to a timber plank at a Beach Road construction site in May 2013. The nail he was hammering suddenly broke, and a piece of it flew into his left eye.

Mr Wang went to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a slight corneal abrasion and given seven days' medical leave.
According to a medical report from the Singapore National Eye Centre, the wound healed completely in a matter of days. Mr Wang continued working for B19 for a year.

He later asked for surgery to fix the aphakia in his left eye, a condition in which the lens of the eye is absent. He had had aphakia for 25 years, resulting in poor vision.
B19 Technologies footed the $9,000 bill to implant a secondary lens in Mr Wang's eye in May 2014. The firm also continued paying him his monthly salary of $3,000 while he recovered.
In August that year, Mr Wang said he wanted to return to China. B19 bought him an air ticket and also gave him a goodwill sum of $1,500. In September, he returned to Singapore to claim damages from B19 through Hoh Law Corporation. He insisted he had suffered a "serious" eye injury through its negligence.
B19 managing director Kang Choon Boon, 58, told The Straits Times that he had felt "betrayed". The company had spent $13,000 on Mr Wang due to the incident.
When Mr Wang joined it in 2012, Mr Kang found him hard-working and considered grooming him to be a supervisor.
He said: "We treated him with all the kindness and support we could give. We never thought he would turn around and do this."
Mr Wang maintained B19 had failed to provide him with safety goggles while he was working.
But when cross-examined by B19's lawyer, Mr Raymond Lye of Union Law, he admitted that he had been given goggles but had not felt the need to wear them that day.
Judge Chiah wrote in his judgment: "When we hear of a foreign worker injuring himself as a result of an industrial accident, we are instantly moved to sympathy.
"However... not every employer of an injured worker is the callous businessman in relentless pursuit of profits, no more than every injured worker is the hapless victim of an employer's oversight."
The judge concluded that "such a litigious approach should not be encouraged among workers in Singapore", adding that he will hear both parties on the settling of legal costs.

 

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Teller foiled scammer who targeted woman to remit $180,000

The elderly woman looked nervous as she entered the shop at People's Park Complex.
Accompanied by a younger woman, she said she needed to remit $180,000 to a beneficiary in China.
The younger woman also kept hurrying the staff at Hanshan Money Express Remittance.
Mr Li Shu, 36, one of the remittance tellers, felt something was amiss.
His hunch was right: The elderly woman was a victim of a parcel scam.
The younger woman, a suspect, had accompanied her to the shop to remit the money.
But thanks to Mr Li and his colleagues, the money never went through.
For foiling the scam attempt and bringing it to the attention of the police, Mr Li, a fellow remittance teller, Ms Han Gui Yuan, 46, and the director of the remittance agency, who wished to be known only as Ms K.E. Thng, won a commendation from the police yesterday.
Recalling the incident on June 24, Mr Li said he became suspicious when he heard the large sum of money the women wanted.
He told The New Paper: "Auntie (the 80-year-old victim) didn't dare to speak when I asked her questions. She was nervous."
"(The younger) woman's actions were not normal. She kept hurrying me to make the transaction," he said.
He probed them with questions about the transaction. The younger woman claimed that they were remitting money to purchase expensive Chinese medicinal herbs.
Still wary of their motives, Mr Li decided to probe further.
"(The suspect) kept asking me when the money would arrive. Because I thought the (amount) was odd, I purposely said that it would arrive only the following week to see her reaction," he said.
The two women then left after being told that the transaction would be delayed.
Mr Li discussed the incident with his more experienced colleague, Ms Han and decided to report the matter to the company's Head of Retail Operations.

SUSPICIOUS

The matter was brought to the attention of their director, Ms Thng, who tried to contact the elderly woman for more information.
She was surprised when her call was answered by the younger woman instead.
Ms Thng said: "(The suspect) asked me why I was asking her so many questions.
"She claimed to have transferred money before and that there are many other remittance companies she could patronise if we declined.
"I felt the case was very suspicious so I withheld the funds."
Ms Thng decided to alert the police, who arrived and tried in vain to contact the victim. They eventually sent her a text message.
A police spokesman told TNP that the elderly victim, a retired piano teacher, was traumatised by the scam and was wary of answering her phone.
Fortunately, the victim's brother, who lives with her, saw the message on her phone.
He took his sister to the remittance company the next day.
Police investigations later revealed that the victim had received a phone call claiming that she had an illegal parcel overseas. She was threatened with imprisonment if she did not cooperate.
She was accompanied by the 65-year-old female suspect to withdraw money from the bank, before proceeding to remit the funds.
This is not the first scam case the company has dealt with. In the past, victims have been told by scammers that they have won lotteries or lucky draws, and were tricked into parting with their money to pay "administration fees" to secure their cash prizes.
Deputy Assistant Commisioner (DAC) Arthur Law, 46, who presented the commendation plaques, warned the public to be cautious of such scams.
"We hope to work closely with various stakeholders like banks and remittance companies. If they come across victims, they should inform the police," DAC Law said.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Indonesian woman, 35, accused of smothering man, 85, in Ang Mo Kio flat

Indonesian national Ipah Saripah Adang Mastur was charged with acting rashly and so endangering life, by smothering an elderly man last week.

Published 8 hours ago
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - A 34-year-old Indonesian national was charged has been charged with acting rashly and so endangering life, by smothering an elderly man last week.

Ipah Saripah Adang Mastur, whose occupation is not known, is accused of using a white cushion to smother Chia Hang Kwong, 85, for 20 seconds at about 9.30am on July 7 in a flat at Block 205 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

The case will be mentioned again at a later date.

If found guilty of doing a rash act to endanger human life, Ipah faces up to six months' jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Cleaner jailed 15 months for stabbing colleague

Yang Changchun was jailed for 15 months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of causing hurt using a weapon likely to cause death.

Published 7 hours ago
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - Unhappy with his colleague, a 47-year-old cleaner who was intoxicated after an evening of drinking stabbed him in the stomach with a knife at their home, a court heard.

On Monday (July 11), Yang Changchun was jailed for 15 months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of causing hurt using a weapon likely to cause death.

A district court heard that Yang and the victim, Mr Zhang Yuekun, 45, both Chinese nationals, worked at the same cleaning company and lived in separate rooms at No 14 Jalan Suka.

On Jan 30 this year, Yang drank beer and liquor with several compatriots from 5.30pm to 9pm at their home; Mr Zhang did not join them.

At 9pm, at the front yard of their home, Mr Chen Pei Min, 39, who is a colleague and housemate of Yang and Mr Zhang, jokingly told Mr Zhang that he could throw him onto the ground with one hand.

Yang suddenly pushed Mr Chen aside and said that he was the one who could use one hand to throw Mr Zhang to the ground, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Houston Johannus told the court.

Mr Zhang responded that he could throw Yang to the ground instead, the DPP added.

Unhappy, Yang went to take a knife with a 10cm-long blade and stabbed Mr Zhang once in his abdomen, leaving a wound measuring 1.5cm by 1cm.

After a scuffle, Mr Zhang managed to wrest the knife away from Yang, with the help of Mr Chen and another compatriot, and restrained him.

Yang's blood alcohol level at the time was 165mg of ethanol per 100ml of blood - about twice the drink-driving limit.

Mr Zhang was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was warded for six days and given hospitalisation leave until March 4. There were injuries to his small intestine and the membrane that surrounds the stomach and abdominal

organs.

District Judge Luke Tan said Yang's sentence has to reflect the fact that one cannot go around stabbing others over trivial matters.

Yang, who has been remanded in Changi Prison since Feb 1, could have been jailed for seven years and fined and caned.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Stabbed over a joke

Chinese national stabs colleague in abdomen over what DPP calls an inane dispute

Jul 12, 2016 6:00am
By SHAFFIQ ALKHATIB

It was a joke.

But no one laughed.

Instead, a man ended up being stabbed, and his assailant ended up in jail.

On Jan 30, Chinese national Chen Pei Min, 39, jokingly told his colleague, Mr Zhang Yuekun, that he could throw him to the ground with just one hand.

Yang Changchun, a cleaner, overheard this, barged forward and exclaimed that he could do the same to Mr Zhang, 45.

When Mr Zhang replied he could do likewise to him, Yang, 47, got angry.

He went off and returned with a knife that has a 10cm-long blade, which he used to stab Mr Zhang once at the left side of his abdomen.

Yang was jailed for 15 months yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt with a weapon.

The three Chinese nationals, who worked for the same cleaning company, were resting at home at Jalan Suka in Geylang when the incident took place around 9pm.

Shortly before the stabbing, Yang and Mr Chen were drinking beer and liquor at the front yard of their house with friends.

Mr Zhang did not join them, the court heard.

Mr Chen then walked over to tease him, which then got out of hand.

After the attack on Mr Zhang, the others disarmed Yang.

One of them called for an ambulance, and Mr Zhang was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was warded for five days.

He was placed on medical leave for four weeks after that.

He suffered injuries to the middle segment of his small intestine and his omentum - a layer of membrane that surrounds the stomach and abdominal organs.

JAIL

Deputy Public Prosecutor Houston Johannus urged District Judge Luke Tan to jail Yang between 18 months and two years.

He stressed that the attack took place after an inane dispute and was unprovoked.

In his mitigation plea, Yang's lawyer, Mr Benny Tan, asked the judge to jail his client for between 10 and 15 months.

He said Yang was remorseful and there was no indication Mr Zhang's injuries were life-threatening.

For voluntarily causing hurt with the knife, he could have been jailed up to seven years, or fined, or caned, or any combination of such punishments.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

4 Bangladeshi workers jailed 24 to 60 months for financing terrorism

The four Bangladeshi workers (from left) ringleader Rahman Mizanur, 31; Miah Rubel, 26; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 31; and Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29 have received sentences ranging 24-60 months for financing terrorism.PHOTO: MHA

Published Jul 12, 2016, 12:41 pm SGT
Danson Cheong

SINGAPORE - Four Bangladeshi workers detained in April under the Internal Security Act (ISA) were sentenced to between 24 and 60 months for financing terrorism.

The four are Rahman Mizanur, 31; Miah Rubel, 26; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 31; and Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29. They had pleaded guilty to their crimes on May 31.

They were earlier charged with providing or collecting money to fund terrorist acts in Bangladesh.

Ringleader Rahman was sentenced to 60 months' jail. Sohel was given 24 months while Miah and Jabath each got 30 months.
Armoured trucks ferrying Bangladeshi workers arriving at the State Courts

All the sentences will be backdated to May 27, the day the men first appeared in court.

Asking for deterrent sentences, the prosecution pointed out that the accused men have caused public disquiet and were funding one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the world: ISIS.

It had asked for 60 months for Rahman, 30 months for Miah and Jabath, and 24 months for Sohel.

The four were part of a group of six charged under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act (TSOFA) - the first time the Act has been used for prosecution.

The other two - Zzaman Daulat, 34 and Mamun Leakot Ali, 29 - have denied the charges and are claiming trial.

Court documents had shown that the men had clearly defined roles. They were led by Rahman, with Mamun as the group's deputy leader.

Miah was in the group's financial council, while Jabath handled the group's media.

Zzaman and Sohel were in the group's security and fighter councils respectively.

Miah and Jabath were also accused of possessing money for terrorist purposes.

Court documents also showed that Jabath was in possession of $1,360 - this includes a sum of $1,060 that he was handed by Miah last month.

In all, the six had contributed sums of $60 to $500 to the cause.

The six were among eight men arrested between late March and early April this year. Working in the marine and construction industries, they called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB).

They were planning attacks back home in hopes of toppling their government.

Their goal was to set up an Islamic state in Bangladesh and bring it under the self-declared caliphate of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Man who kicked sleeping woman sentenced to 12 months' jail and ordered to compensate her

Mohammed Hafian Suaily leaving the State Courts on July 12, 2016.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Published 9 hours ago
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - A young man assaulted his fiancee's cousin as he believed that she had been spreading rumours about him and his fiancee's family.

Mohammed Hafian Suaily, 20, a Malaysian cleaner, kicked Ms Norhayati Mohammad Abas, 24, near her spine while she was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of the living room at a unit in Jalan Minyak, off Chin Swee Road, at about 4am on Feb 6 this year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Lu said he also grabbed Ms Norhayati's hair, asking her to wake up.

When she sat up, he kicked her near her left eye area once, causing her to have blurred vision and a bleeding nose.

He then slapped her and told her that if his fiancee did not return in an hour's time, she would "die in his hands''.

Hafian then left to look for his 18-year-old fiancee. All three were then living together.

Ms Norhayati washed up and went to seek help from her uncle in Ang Mo Kio. He called for an ambulance. She was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment, and given eight days' hospitalisation leave.

Among her injuries were bleeding in the left eye and multiple facial fractures.

On Tuesday (July 12), Hafian was sentenced to 12 months' jail and ordered to pay compensation of $688 to the victim after he pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt.

The court heard that he had been angry with Ms Norhayati for some time as he believed that she had been spreading rumours about him and his fiancee's family to their neighbours. But Ms Norhayati denied this.

He was drunk and had quarrelled with his fiancee at the void deck over the victim just before he assaulted her.

District Judge Low Wee Ping said what Hafian did was "very cruel''. He said Hafian caused so many injuries to the victim that until now, she has not fully recovered, especially her vision.

Hafian said he was very angry then, and had apologised to the victim. He was allowed to defer sentence until Aug 10.

He could have been jailed for up to 10 years, fined or caned for causing grievous hurt.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Indonesian maid jailed two years for assaulting 93-year-old woman suffering from dementia

Sulikah was jailed for two years on Wednesday (July 13) after admitting to 10 of 29 charges of hurting 93-year-old Ng Yian Yeo.ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH

Published Jul 13, 2016, 6:39 pm SGT
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - Over a period of 24 days early this year, a domestic worker abused an elderly wheelchair-bound woman under her care, a court heard.

Sulikah, 27, an Indonesian who goes by one name, was jailed for two years on Wednesday (July 13) after admitting to 10 of 29 charges of hurting 93-year-old Ng Yian Yeo at a flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 between Jan 17 and Feb 10 this year.

Madam Ng has advanced dementia, cannot remember recent conversations and events, and is dependent on others for the basic activities of daily living. None of her children lived with her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Kuek Foo said Madam Ng's two daughters were visiting her on Feb 10 when they found bruises on her left eye and hand. They reviewed footage from the CCTV installed in the living room where Madam Ng's bed was placed, and saw several instances of physical abuse.

A police report was made the following day.

Sulikah, who began taking care of Madam Ng in February 2014, revealed that she started physically abusing the victim early last year. She also admitted that she had previously been told off by Madam Ng's children for treating her roughly, but started abusing her again because she got frustrated when taking care of her.

On Jan 17, after changing Madam Ng's diapers, Sulikah grabbed the woman by the hair and yanked her up to a sitting position on the bed. She then hit the old woman's head several times, lifted her off the bed and dropped her roughly onto a chair beside the bed. She then proceeded to change the sheets during which she shoved the victim's head.

On Jan 29, Sulikah was trying to get Madam Ng onto a rolling shower chair when she grabbed the victim by the hair and yanked her up to a sitting position, kicked her legs before lifting her and dropping her roughly onto the chair. She then slapped her and shoved her head.

On Feb 4, Madam Ng said something to Sulikah who then slapped her on the face. Later, when the helper saw that Madam Ng's leg was not on the footrest of the chair, she kicked her legs repeatedly. After that, she hit the victim on the head.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur said employers who abuse their maids are punished severely and likewise, maids who abuse elderly, disabled people or other such members of the employer's household.

"The repeated acts of abuse were something of a pattern which shows a contemptible and callous disregard for the welfare of the victim,'' she said.

Sulikah could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000 on each charge of causing hurt.

 

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Tour guide jailed for 4 weeks for assaulting taxi driver

SINGAPORE - A tour guide who assaulted a taxi driver while drunk was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday (July 13).


Han Seok Yeong, 47, a South Korean and a Singapore permanent resident, had admitted using a pouch to hit Mr Lim Boon Peng on the head, kicking the 64-year-old on the arm and chest, and throwing punches at his face along South Bridge Road at about 11 pm on Oct 28 last year.


Mr Lim was driving his Silvercab taxi along Kreta Ayer Road that evening when he was flagged down by Han's two friends.





One of the friends asked if he could drive to Central Mall, and Mr Lim agreed. Han, who was drunk, got into the back of the taxi.


At Central Mall, Mr Lim found out from the apartment receptionist that Han did not live there. When he asked where Han lived, Han replied: "Tanjong Pagar''.





While driving along South Bridge Road, near the intersection with Nankin Street, Han suddenly hit Mr Lim's head twice with a pouch and asked him to drive to Sengkang.


Mr Lim carried on driving and mentioned that as Han kept telling him to drive in different directions, he would drive him back to Kreta Ayer to find his friend.


On hearing this, Han kicked Mr Lim twice on the left upper arm, causing the victim to lose control of his taxi slightly. Mr Lim managed to recover and continue driving.


He stopped his taxi and alighted infront of The Southbridge Hotel. He called 999 and motioned to Han to alight from the right passenger door. Han ignored him and tried to open the rear left passenger door.


When Mr Lim blocked him, Han kicked the door twice, causing the door to open. He then kicked Mr Lim on the chest, causing the cabbie to stagger backwards.


When Han alighted, Mr Lim told him to stay away but Han threw two punches at his face, one landing on the cheek and the other brushing against the driver's nose.


Han then charged towards Mr Lim who ran towards the hotel lobby and shouted for help. Two hotel staff members stopped Han. Police arrived soon after.


Mr Lim had contusion on the face and left shoulder. He was given four days' medical leave.


Han's lawyer T.M. Sinnadurai said the father of a teenage daughter had compensated Mr Lim with $930. He said his client understands the seriousness of the offence and regrets deeply for his actions.


Han has a previous conviction for drink driving. He could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000 for voluntarily causing hurt.

 

[khunking]

‘Gifted’ expatriate fooled Manpower Ministry twice to gain EP

An American psychologist who previously lectured in two local polytechnics has been charged with lying about his HIV status twice for a chance to work in Singapore. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) charged that the American, Mikhy K Farrera-Brochez, allegedly hid his HIV status to gain an Employment Pass in March 2008.

The former expatriate is also accused of possessing and consuming controlled drugs, ketamine and amphetamine in May this year.

In total Farrera-Brochez faces a total of 11 charges including one of forging his passport in 2008.

 

[khunking]

SGX uses technologies from India-based HCL

It was earlier reported that SGX has changed its management team overseeing its IT operations and technology developments.

Starting this year, SGX IT Operations and Technology units are now placed under the charge of SGX president Muthukrishnan Ramaswami. Mr Ramaswami was hailed from India. He holds a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences based in Hyderabad and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.


Another key IT person appointed to assist Mr Ramaswami is Ms Tinku Gupta. She took over the jobs from the former EVP Bob Caisley who left at the end of last year. Ms Gupta was previously SGX’s head of market data and access. She also came from India. According to her Linkedin information, she was a project manager with Tata Consultancy Services before moving to SGX some years ago.


Before taking over the technology operations from Mr Caisley, Ms Gupta was responsible for selling, marketing and development of SGX data feeds. She also used to manage trading access into SGX. She graduated from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, a university ranked in the 351st-400th bracket in the world by QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

In 2010, SGX announced that it would be outsourcing its IT infrastructure to India-based HCL Technologies to manage. The deal was worth $110 million


HCL is currently being embroiled in a lawsuit which has become a hot political potato in the US.


In Jan this year, former employees of Walt Disney World sued Disney and two of its outsourcing companies, HCL Technologies and Cognizant, accusing the 3 companies of conspiring to replace American workers with cheaper foreigners.

 

[khunking]

'Director' of loan-shark team gets jail, caning

[FONT=&amp]LOAN-SHARK runner Se Wei Kuang was jailed yesterday for leading a team that harassed debtors by scrawling graffiti, splashing paint and sealing their main gates with bicycle locks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The Malaysian was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, 24 strokes of the cane and a $150,000 fine after sending nine of his countrymen to target victims across the island.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]By the time he was arrested in April, he had already sent them on 37 missions.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Se, 23, helped his loan-shark boss by texting debtors' addresses to his team of runners, who are aged between 17 and 47. He also uploaded the pictures they took of the homes onto an online storage facility known as SkyDrive so the unlicensed lender could check that the victims had been harassed to his satisfaction.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Se, who pleaded guilty, said he had cooperated with police, and his boss, named only as Ah Hock, had been arrested. District Judge Low Wee Ping said: "Despite your age, you specially came here to be what I call chief operating officer or director of operations to a group of Malaysians committing despicable acts of harassment. I will impose a sentence severe enough to deter people like you from committing such horrendous offences."[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Assisting a loan shark carries a maximum fine of $300,000 on each count. For each charge of abetting acts of harassment, he could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to $50,000 and given up to six strokes of the cane. Three of his accomplices have been jailed for between 15 and 42 months and given between six and 18 strokes. The others' cases have not been heard yet.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

Murderer escapes death sentence

Man jailed for life after discretion allowed in capital punishment cases

[FONT=&amp]A 23-YEAR-OLD Malaysian man yesterday became the first convicted murderer in Singapore to be sentenced to life imprisonment instead of a mandatory death penalty.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]This follows changes made to the law last year giving judges the discretion to impose either the capital punishment or life imprisonment for certain categories of murder.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The case of Fabian Adiu Edwin, a construction worker from Sabah who killed a security guard during a 2008 robbery, was the first time a sentencing judge has had a choice in deciding the sentence for murder.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]In imposing life imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane yesterday, Justice Chan Seng Onn considered Fabian's young age and sub-normal IQ.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Fabian was convicted of murder by the High Court in September 2011 and given the then mandatory death penalty. This was upheld by the Court of Appeal in August last year.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]However, Fabian was among some 30 condemned prisoners given a lifeline when hangings were put on hold pending a review of the mandatory death penalty which started in July 2011.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]In May this year, his case was sent back to the High Court judge to decide the appropriate sentence to be handed down under the amended law.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]There are four clauses to cover different categories of murder. Before the changes, which came into effect in January this year, the death penalty was mandatory for all categories of murder.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Now it is mandatory only for Section 300(a), which involves acts carried out with the intention of causing death. It is discretionary for other clauses.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Fabian was convicted under Section 300(c), for having acted with the intention of causing bodily injury which would ordinarily be sufficient to cause death.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]On Aug 23, 2008, Fabian and an accomplice attacked and robbed 35-year-old Loh Ee Hui at a Sims Avenue bus stop. Fabian struck Mr Loh's head forcefully three times with a piece of wood, pushed and tripped him, and stepped on his chest.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]They took the victim's mobile phone and wallet containing $6 and an ez-link card. Mr Loh died in hospital that evening from skull fractures.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Fabian's accomplice, Ellarry Puling, a 27-year-old cleaner also from Sabah, has been sentenced to 19 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for a lesser charge of robbery with hurt.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Seraphina Fong sought the death penalty, arguing this was a case that "outrages the feelings of the community".[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]She argued that Fabian was vicious in targeting Mr Loh's head and striking the defenceless victim from behind with great force.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The DPP pointed to the brazenness of carrying out an attack in a public place and that the brutal assault was prompted only by greed over a mobile phone.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]But Fabian's lawyer Anand Nalachandran argued that when there is a choice, "life is the preferred option, death is the last resort".[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Fabian was only 18 years old at the time and was found to have an IQ in the low-average range of 77 to 85, he noted.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Separately, hearing dates have been fixed next month for the resentencing of two other convicted murderers. Bijukumar Remadevi Nair Gopinathan killed a Filipino prostitute in 2010 and Malaysian Jabing Kho bashed a Chinese national to death in 2008 while robbing him.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

2½ years' jail and caning for Little India rioter

[FONT=&amp]THE first man who pleaded guilty to rioting during last December's unrest in Little India was sentenced to 2½ years' jail and three strokes of the cane yesterday.
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[FONT=&amp]Ramalingam Sakthivel, an Indian national, was also given a jail term of two years and three months for causing mischief by fire.[/FONT]
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Both sentences will run concurrently, but they were backdated to Dec 8 -- the night of Singapore's first riot in more than 40 years and his arrest.[/FONT]
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The 33-year-old had met friends in Little India earlier that day and later consumed a bottle of brandy, the court heard. He was walking towards Race Course Road with the intention of taking a chartered bus back to his dormitory when he saw the mob.[/FONT]
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He then joined in and pelted police officers and vehicles with projectiles, and smashed the windscreen of a police vehicle with a wooden pole.[/FONT]
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The construction worker also helped to flip a police car and attacked an ambulance with a pole while Home Team officers were taking cover in the Singapore Civil Defence Force vehicle.[/FONT]
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Earlier, the court was shown video evidence of Ramalingam attempting to set a private bus at the scene on fire. The prosecution estimated that his actions caused damage amounting to more than $370,000.[/FONT]
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Deputy Presiding Judge Jennifer Marie had harsh words for Ramalingam during sentencing.[/FONT]
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"The accused was no meek follower -- he rallied others to join him and pursued a course of conduct that showed him to be unfazed by the risk to his own life and limb," she said, adding that he had displayed "open hostility" against law enforcement officers. "The audacious acts of violence by the accused reflected his contempt for authority, and law and order."
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[FONT=&amp]She said that while she had taken into account mitigating factors raised by the defence, including Ramalingam's clean record in the five years he has worked here, his actions could not be considered in isolation.[/FONT]
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"The point of a rioting charge of this nature is that the accused is held accountable for the acts of all involved," the judge said.[/FONT]
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"Each individual who takes an active part by deed or encouragement is guilty of the collective offence of rioting."[/FONT]
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Judge Marie added that a deterrent sentence was also necessary to send a general message to potential offenders that punishment "will not only be certain, but unrelenting".[/FONT]
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His lawyer, Mr Justin Tan from Trident Law, said his client does not plan to appeal. "Our client is remorseful and is going to serve his term."[/FONT]
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Six other men, mainly Indian nationals, have served sentences for other charges related to the riot. Some 18 others have cases against them pending in court.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

Molester gets four years' jail and caning

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A CONSTRUCTION worker who molested two maids after following them into the lift was jailed for four years and ordered to be given nine strokes of the cane yesterday.
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[FONT=&amp]Bangladeshi national Zakir Hossain Nurul Hoque, 29, restrained his "girlfriends" as they returned to their employers' homes near Tanjong Pagar, before repeatedly squeezing their breasts and kissing them on the cheek.[/FONT]
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On the first occasion on May 30 last year, he approached a 25-year-old Myanmar national as she was walking back to a block of flats.[/FONT]
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At the lift lobby, he twice asked her to sit with him and grabbed her hand the second time but she turned him down.[/FONT]
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Once inside the lift, he hugged her from behind and groped her through her clothes, only letting go after she bit his finger.[/FONT]
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Three days later, Zakir Hossain tried unsuccessfully to befriend a 28-year-old Indonesian woman while she was washing her employer's vehicle but she warned him not to bother her.[/FONT]
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She later refused his request to follow him and tried to return home but he dragged her out of the lift and molested her at a staircase landing.

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]He hugged her, held her hand and crossed his leg over hers to prevent her from moving.[/FONT]
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He took her to the stairwell and tried to sit her down but stopped after she struggled and screamed at him.[/FONT]
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Asking the court to impose a four-year sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruth Teng said that Zakir Hossain had intruded on his victims in an intimate manner.[/FONT]
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Pleading for leniency, Zakir Hossain told the court his family was dependent on his income. This included medical treatment fees for his father and money to put his siblings through school.[/FONT]
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Zakir Hossain referred to each women as his "girlfriend".[/FONT]
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He pleaded guilty to two counts of molestation by wrongful restraint, with an unrelated charge of behaving in a riotous manner taken into consideration.[/FONT]
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The prescribed penalty for the offence is between two years and 10 years in jail as well as caning, with the minimum jail term raised to three if committed in a lift.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

He robs man of $85 after losing $3,000 gambling

[FONT=&amp]All it took was an hour for Suresh Kannan to lose his salary of $3,000 at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino.
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[FONT=&amp]Broke, the 33-year-old decided to tail an Indonesian casino patron all the way from MBS to Sengkang, where he robbed him.[/FONT]
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Suresh, a Malaysian, was sentenced to 42 months behind bars and 12 strokes of the cane yesterday, after pleading guilty to one count of robbery.[/FONT]
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He admitted to robbing Mr Witasyah Siah between 5.10am and 5.46am on June 2.[/FONT]
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim said that Mr Siah, 61, arrived in Singapore at around 6pm on June 1 and went straight to MBS.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Suresh spotted him there changing his money for some chips and decided to follow him.[/FONT]
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He had been tailing Mr Siah around the casino for about 30 minutes to an hour, when the Indonesian decided to call it a day at around 5.10am on June 2.[/FONT]
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Seeing Mr Siah walk towards a nearby taxi stand to catch a cab, Suresh made his way to his motorcycle.[/FONT]
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Suresh then jumped onto his bike and followed the Indonesian in his taxi to Compassvale Link.[/FONT]
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He stopped his bike when Mr Siah got off and followed him to Block 275D.[/FONT]
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From the first storey, Suresh observed Mr Siah entering a lift and going up to the seventh storey, where his daughter's flat was.[/FONT]
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Then Suresh took the same route, and spotted his victim outside the unit.[/FONT]
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He approached Mr Siah from behind, covered his mouth and fished out $20 in cash from Mr Siah's pocket.[/FONT]
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He also used his motorcycle helmet to hit his victim repeatedly. At least one of the blows landed at the back of Mr Siah's head, causing it to bleed.[/FONT]
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In the struggle, the Indonesian dropped his bag, which contained items including $65 worth of chips, a passport and two plane tickets.[/FONT]

Injured

[FONT=&amp]Suresh picked the bag up and fled.[/FONT]
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Injured, Mr Siah made his way to his daughter's home.[/FONT]
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His son-in-law later informed the police about the incident.[/FONT]
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Mr Siah, who suffered a cut to his head and tenderness to his left hand, was taken to Changi General Hospital.[/FONT]
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Suresh was arrested eight days later.[/FONT]
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For committing robbery, he could have been jailed between three years and 14 years, on top of receiving a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

Convicted drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong loses appeal

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SINGAPORE -- The punishment of caning is not unconstitutional, the apex court ruled yesterday, throwing out the latest in a string of legal challenges mounted by convicted drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong.
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[FONT=&amp]After he became the first to escape the gallows following changes to the mandatory death penalty regime, the 26-year-old Malaysian last year sought to be spared from the 15 strokes of the cane he was re-sentenced to, by arguing that the punishment violated the Constitution.[/FONT]
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However, his bases for the contention that caning is tantamount to torture were dismissed by the Court of Appeal yesterday.[/FONT]
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Prescribed as a punishment for selected crimes in Singapore, caning differs from the cases defined as torture under a United Nations convention, which either involved "severe and indiscriminate brutality", or extra-legal acts of abuse in interrogations and war crimes, said the court, which was presided over by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.
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[FONT=&amp]There are also legal requirements, enshrined in statute, on how the punishment is carried out here, the judges added. For example, a medical officer must be present and caning starts and continues only if the offender is certified to be fit enough.[/FONT]
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"It is undeniably the case that caning inflicts a considerable level of pain and suffering on a prisoner. But this level of pain and suffering is far exceeded by that endured by the victims in those cases where courts held that the conduct in question amounted to torture," they said.[/FONT]
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The judges, who included Appeal Judge Andrew Phang and Justice Tay Yong Kwang, added that these statutory requirements act as "safeguards" to ensure caning in Singapore's prisons "does not breach the high threshold of severity and brutality that is required for it to be regarded as torture".[/FONT]
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For instance, caning is administered on the buttocks, which minimises the risk of injury to bones and organs, they said. It is also carried out in private and out of sight of other prisoners.[/FONT]
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The rattan, which is soaked in water beforehand to prevent it from splitting and shearing the skin, is also treated with antiseptic, while the strokes of the cane are "meted out in a measured and controlled manner at regular intervals", the judges added.[/FONT]
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How international law norms regard caning is also irrelevant, the court said, since Parliament has prescribed for caning under Singapore's laws, and the judiciary is bound to implement legislation, as long as they are not incompatible with the Constitution.[/FONT]
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A similar line of reasoning defeats another of Yong's argument against caning, which was that it is too irrational and arbitrary to be regarded as law, since its deterrent effect is unclear.
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[FONT=&amp]In response, the judges said: "The simple answer is that sentencing policy is a matter for the legislature and it is not for the courts to judge whether a particular type of sentence prescribed by Parliament is justified as a matter of deterrence."[/FONT]
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Yong's argument that caning discriminates against men under 50 -- the punishment is not carried out on an offender above that age -- is also without merit, the judges said.[/FONT]
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This differentia clearly serves the objective of ensuring that only those who are physically fit to be caned suffer the punishment, they said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]In addition, the criteria for exclusions are policy decisions that Parliament is entitled to make and "there is no justification for us to interfere", the judges added.[/FONT]
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Yesterday's court decision marked the end of a series of legal bids Yong has launched since he was caught in 2007 as a 19-year-old for trafficking 47.27g of heroin.[/FONT]
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These ranged from his appeal against the compulsory death sentence originally handed down to him to his challenge on the lack of discretion for the President to grant clemency.[/FONT]
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Suspended from legal practice pending a psychiatrist's assessment, Yong's lawyer M Ravi was in court yesterday to observe proceedings.[/FONT]

 

[khunking]

Student from China gets jail, caning for graffiti offences

[FONT=&amp]A student who tried to "create awareness" about the Falungong spiritual group by writing messages about it in public areas was sentenced to two months in jail and six strokes of the cane yesterday.
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[FONT=&amp]Chinese national Gao Bin, 21, used a black permanent marker to write on a viaduct pillar in Geylang East Avenue 1: "Fa Lun Da Fa is good. Chinese Communist Party is going to fall, faster leave the party, to save yourselves."[/FONT]
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The message -- about the spiritualist movement which is banned in China -- was written in Chinese at around 10pm on Aug 21 last year, and was followed by what appeared to be a mobile phone number.[/FONT]
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The court heard that Gao went home after writing the graffiti, which cost transport operator SMRT $300 to remove.[/FONT]
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Gao's jail term includes punishment for a similar offence a week later at a control box in Lorong 22 Geylang belonging to the Land Transport Authority.[/FONT]
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Gao later told police he had wanted to "create awareness" among his countrymen through his graffiti.[/FONT]
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Four other counts of vandalism last August, also involving graffiti written in Chinese, were taken into consideration.[/FONT]
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In two of these, Gao targeted metal electrical grid boxes in Purvis Street belonging to Singapore Power. He also targeted a concrete pillar that belongs to SingTel, and one other SMRT pillar.[/FONT]
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It is understood that Gao is studying English at a private school in Singapore. His parents are in China.[/FONT]
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Shi told the court that Gao's actions caused $728.11 worth of damage.[/FONT]
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Gao told District Judge Toh Yung Cheong he could not afford to pay for the damage. He was not ordered to pay compensation in the light of this.[/FONT]
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For each count of vandalism, Gao could have been jailed for up to three years or fined up to $2,000, and given from three to eight strokes of the cane.
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[khunking]

Man sexually abused 31 boys, some as young as 11, whom he met online

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YAP Weng Wah stood in court with his hands clasped in front of him, closed his eyes and let out a sob from time to time as he waited for his sentence.[/FONT]
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When it came, he stared blankly. The 31-year-old Malaysian engineer was given 30 years' jail and the maximum 24 strokes of the cane for sexually abusing 31 boys between 2009 and 2012.[/FONT]
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The boyish-looking Yap hardly looked like the villain in Singapore's worst case of sexual abuse of young boys.[/FONT]
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But this was a man who, after befriending them online, cajoled victims as young as 11 -- the oldest was 15 -- into performing oral sex or letting him sodomise them.

In the case of one boy, there was no sex but he was persuaded to send Yap a video of him performing a lewd act.[/FONT]
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Justice Woo Bih Li made it clear that the high-risk offender needed to be put away for a long time to protect society and as a warning that such heinous acts would not be tolerated.[/FONT]
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"There is... a strong public interest in the present case to deter potential sexual offenders from using the Internet to lure young victims," he said.[/FONT]
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In the gallery were Yap's family -- his mother and younger brother and sister -- who had come from Ipoh.[/FONT]
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The judge pointed out how Yap tried to hide the extent of his crimes.[/FONT]
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When he was questioned after a victim lodged a report, he told the police that he had sex with just three boys. The truth was far more shocking.[/FONT]
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In a raid on his home on Sept 12, 2012, around 2,000 video clips of him having sex were found in his laptop -- footage that he would watch to pleasure himself.[/FONT]
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It was through these videos, which were meticulously catalogued based on the boys' names, ages and the year he met them, that the victims were traced. Some of the boys could not be identified. There were, however, at least 14 other boys he had taped during his visits to Malaysia.[/FONT]
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The 76 charges against Yap took up 23 pages. He committed the acts at his flat, in hotel rooms, at a public park, and in toilets at shopping centres and swimming pools.[/FONT]
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In the case of one 13-year-old, he arranged a meeting at Hougang Swimming Complex some time in early 2010. In a toilet cubicle, he told the boy to remove his school uniform. He then sodomised the boy and recorded the act with his phone.[/FONT]
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Around March 2010, he took a 15-year-old to a hotel. Yap undressed and tried to kiss the boy. Even when the boy protested, Yap performed oral sex on him.[/FONT]
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He hunted for his victims on Facebook, often pretending to be a polytechnic student. He gained the boys' trust by portraying himself as an elder brother. And he invited them to share their problems with him.
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Yap also made it a point to find out their interests and hobbies, then used the knowledge to arrange meetings with the victims under various pretexts, such as to give them gifts, play computer games or give body-building tips.[/FONT]
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Justice Woo said Yap's premeditated use of the Internet to hunt for a large number of victims, and breaching the boys' trust after earning it, were aggravating factors.

"Yap was planning and hunting for victims to satisfy his deviant urges," he said.[/FONT]
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It was made worse by Yap recording videos of the sex acts despite the boys' protests. He assured his victims that he would delete the videos, but instead saved them on his laptop.[/FONT]
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The videos were at risk of being circulated if they fell into the hands of third parties, said Justice Woo.[/FONT]
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Yap, who in January admitted to 12 charges of sexual penetration of a minor, with the rest of the charges taken into consideration during sentencing, pleaded for compassion.[/FONT]
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In a letter he read out in court, he said he was a first-time offender. He claimed to have found religion and vowed to do one good deed a day.[/FONT]
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Yap also swore never to repeat his acts, was sorry for his "disgraceful" crimes and that he was ashamed of his sexuality.[/FONT]
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He claimed to have developed a "phobia" of young boys in the more than two years that he had spent in remand. But the judge was not convinced.[/FONT]
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Yap's multiple offences over a long period meant that his claim to be a first-time offender carried little weight. The judge also said Yap's guilty plea "did not spring from genuine remorse, but from a realisation that his goose was as good as cooked".
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High risk of offending: Psychiatrist

[FONT=&amp]WHEN he was arrested in 2012, Yap Weng Wah was working as a quality assurance engineer at ASM Technology in Yishun.[/FONT]
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When The Straits Times visited the company, few seemed to have heard of him.[/FONT]
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But one 29-year-old technician, who gave his name as Mr Li, recognised him. He said people at work knew Yap as "Travis".[/FONT]
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He said Yap "seemed very normal at work".[/FONT]
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"He was always very quiet, he never showed any signs that he had these perversions," said Mr Li. "I only found out when I read the newspapers, I was shocked, I didn't expect he would be like that."[/FONT]
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According to the defence, Yap, who moved to Singapore in 2009, had a nine-month sexual relationship with his male maths teacher when he was 12.[/FONT]
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Yap thought what happened in the relationship were acts of intimacy and love, said his lawyer Daniel Koh.[/FONT]
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It was also claimed that Yap had a phobia of approaching women, after he was rejected and humiliated by a female classmate.[/FONT]
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The Institute of Mental Health's Dr Bharat Saluja found that Yap had hebephilia -- a sexual interest in pubescent youth, typically between the ages of 11 and 14.[/FONT]
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The psychiatrist also noted that Yap's risk of re-offending was high.[/FONT]