SINGAPORE, April 23 — He spotted the girl, then 18, when he boarded the train at Pasir Ris MRT Station. He then followed her at a distance throughout her hour-long journey and molested her as she was entering her house.

Yesterday, 24-year-old Cheah Chan Yung, a Malaysian, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail and one stroke of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force to outrage a person’s modesty and another charge of voluntarily causing hurt.

Another charge of using criminal force was taken into consideration for sentencing

At around 10pm on July 21 last year, Cheah tailed the teenager as she travelled to MacPherson MRT Station and then took a bus home.

She entered the lift at her housing block and pressed the button for the seventh floor. As the doors were closing, Cheah rushed in and pressed for the fifth floor, where he got out before rushing up the stairs to the seventh floor.

The court heard that he took out a black trash bag from his pocket with the intention of covering her face with it as he violated her.

The girl saw Cheah rushing towards her as she was walking towards her flat and taking the keys from her wallet.

Cheah gripped her upper arms and grabbed her left breast over her clothes. The girl hit Cheah and shouted for her grandmother.

Cheah pulled her backwards and covered her mouth from behind. He then stuffed his fingers into her mouth to keep her from shouting.

The girl retaliated by biting his fingers, forcing him to withdraw his hand.

By this time, the girl’s younger sister, then 15, had rushed out of the flat. She called the police shortly after.

For voluntarily causing hurt, Cheah could have been jailed two years and fined up to S$5,000 (RM15,222).

For using criminal force with the intent to outrage modesty, he could have been jailed up to two years and fined or caned. — TODAY