SINGAPORE, Jan 15 — An auxiliary police officer began dating his supervisor, but a horoscope reading several months later ended their relationship when they were found incompatible for marriage.
Upset with the breakup, he beat her up in a pantry at their workplace — the Police Coast Guard’s Brani Base. He later threatened to kill her and post nude photographs of her online.
After claiming trial to three counts of causing hurt and criminally intimidating her, the 27-year-old Malaysian was convicted last month of all charges.
Yesterday, he was sentenced to six weeks’ jail. His lawyer Lim Tean said that he intends to appeal against the conviction and sentence, and he remains out on S$15,000 bail (RM46,000).
He cannot be named due to a court order to protect his ex-girlfriend’s identity.
During the trial, the court heard that the pair began dating in July 2018.
The victim, who was in her 20s at the time, testified that he was a controlling person who tended to blame her for things that went wrong, recounting that he had already acted violently towards her in the early days of their relationship.
For example, he would beat her and then take her to clinics to get medication for her injuries. She said that as they were dating, she accepted this as status quo, thinking he would change.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Shana Poon said that it was a relationship “marked by considerable inequality in power”.
He did not like her using social media, made her write down mistakes he thought she had made, and agreed in court that she was the one who begged for his affection and attention, the prosecutor added.
She finally agreed to end their relationship in end-November 2018. They had earlier sought a horoscope reading to determine their compatibility for marriage and the result was “not promising”, DPP Poon told the court.
Wanted her to list ‘wrongdoings’
On November 29, 2018, he demanded that they speak in the staff pantry at around 4pm. He was unhappy over their breakup.
“Feeling angered and provoked against (her), he punched her several times in the head, face and torso, as well as kicked her several times in the shins and thighs. At the time, both of them were in uniform and were armed,” DPP Poon said.
The victim testified that she had cried and begged him to stop. During the assault, when her wig flew off her head, he picked it up and threw it at her.
She further testified that he wanted her to write out her “wrongdoings” in a book.
About three hours later, they spoke on the phone. He was angry that she had not written down her “mistakes” in sufficient detail for his liking.
He threatened her by saying: “I am going to kill you now. That’s confirmed. Then what are you going to do?” He also repeatedly used a vulgar word to scold her.
Several hours later, when she had returned to her uncle’s home, he threatened her over the phone that he would disseminate her nude photos if she did not cooperate with him.
However, he had never taken such photos of her.
These calls were recorded through a software on the victim’s mobile phone.
After her uncle and aunt took photos of her injuries, she then made a police report.
Claimed vulgarity was term of endearment
In his defence, the man claimed that she had held onto his hand in the pantry and begged him not to leave her.
He also denied assaulting her. He alleged that he was irritated when she claimed that he was treating her like a dog, so he pushed her shoulder, causing her to hit her face on a metal locker.
As for the threats, he said that people would normally say “I am going to kill you now” to each other in Malaysia and that he did not intend to kill her.
In relation to the repeated vulgar word, he claimed that he used it in its original meaning — “lotus”. It was therefore a term of endearment, he said.
DPP Poon argued that he had “resorted to ridiculous and incredible afterthoughts” when confronted by objective evidence.
DPP Lu Yiwei sought 10 weeks’ jail, saying that he had behaved in a “unmeritorious and scandalous” way towards the victim.In mitigation, his lawyer, Lim, argued for a fine instead, which would allow him to continue working for his employer.
He had come to Singapore to work a decade ago and had an “impeccable record” at his job, and his family in Johor depends on him to get by, Lim added.
In ordering two of the individual sentences to run consecutively, District Judge Toh Han Li noted that his offences had taken place in a short period of time against the same victim. The judge increased his bail quantum by S$5,000 to S$15,000 in light of his appeal.
For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.
For criminal intimidation, he could have been jailed up to two years or fined, or both. — TODAY
