COVID-19: Man who brought female friend to his room while on SHN jailed
SINGAPORE — A man who was serving a Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at a serviced apartment but left his room several times and brought a female friend to his room twice was on Wednesday (3 June) jailed for four weeks.
Chng Tianxi, a 37-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty to one charge each of exposing others to risk of infection while having reason to suspect that he had exposure to COVID-19, and of coming into close proximity with another person while being subject to a movement control measure.
Four other similar counts were considered in sentencing.
Culprit brought female friend to his room twice
Chng, a car executive, arrived at Changi Airport at about 4pm on 26 March after a trip to Thailand. An immigration officer served him with a SHN from 26 March to 9 April.
The perpetrator was to serve the SHN at Pan Pacific Service Suites Orchard along Somerset Road, having booked a room to stay there. He provided his signature to acknowledge the SHN and its contents, including his liability to prosecution if he failed to comply with the SHN requirements.
But just six days later, on 1 April, Chng left his room at about 1.25am and went to the basement without wearing a mask to fetch a friend, Chen Yijun, a Chinese national whom he got to know only in March.
Chen spent three-and-a-half hours in Chng’s room, leaving only at about 5am. The court was not told how the duo spent the time in the room.
Three days later, Chng again repeated his crime. He fetched Chen from the basement at about 12.35am on 4 April. This time, however, a security officer at Pan Pacific Suites saw what Chng did and alerted the front counter receptionist.
Chen spent 1 hour and 26 minutes in the room on this occasion. During this period, the receptionist repeatedly called Chng to tell him that he was not allowed to leave his room or have any visitors, the court heard.
“The accused acknowledged but said that he needed more time to finish up dinner with the third witness,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim told Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun.
Pan Pacific Suites then reported Chng’s breaches of his SHN to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
Culprit met 3 friends despite being warned
The next day, at about 1.45pm, three immigration officers visited Chng to investigate his crimes. The perpetrator was told that it was mandatory to remain in his room during the period of his SHN.
Barely 11 hours later, Chng again left his room. At about 12.40am, the culprit met three male friends at the basement and the group went up to the 16th floor for a while before Chng returned to his room alone at about 12.50am.
Chng has a string of offences dating back to 2000 for theft, criminal breach of trust and cheating by impersonation, among other things.
For each of his two proceeded charges, he could have been fined up to $10,000 and also jailed for up to six months.
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