Man admits to kidnapping girlfriend's two-year-old son in Sembawang hostage incident

A man who held his then-girlfriend’s toddler as a hostage in a Sembawang flat during a 17-hour standoff with the police last year pleaded guilty to kidnapping the boy on Wednesday (29 November).

Muhammad Iskandah Suhaimi, 39, also admitted to one count of possessing a knuckleduster, and one count each of possessing and consuming methamphetamine. One count of possessing drug-taking utensils will be taken into account for his sentencing, which has been adjourned to 26 February next year.

The 33-year-old girlfriend and her two-year-old son cannot be named due to a gag order. Iskandah had been staying with the girlfriend since mid-October 2015.

On 27 September last year at around 4pm, Iskandah told the girlfriend to buy cigarettes for him. When the girlfriend stepped out of the flat with her son, Iskandah suddenly pulled the boy back into the unit and locked the main gate, shutting her out of the unit.

The girlfriend was unable to unlock the main gate as Iskandah had taken her keys away from her earlier. According to the prosecution, she felt fearful and alarmed at Iskandah’s actions as he rejected her pleas to free her son. She sought help from her mother, who called the police at 6.43pm, and officers arrived some 15 minutes later.

Police efforts to negotiate the release of the boy were fruitless as Iskandah demanded for the girlfriend in exchange for the boy.

While the girlfriend and her mother waited at the void deck, the girlfriend told the police that Iskandah had consumed methamphetamine that morning. She also revealed that their relationship was on the rocks. She told the police that Iskandah had hit her before and was known for carrying a knuckleduster.

While in contact with the police, Iskandah repeatedly refused to release the boy and was aggressive and highly agitated at times, said the prosecution. Fearing that Iskandah would harm the girlfriend, the police rejected Iskandah’s demands to exchange her for the boy.

Negotiators from the Crisis Negotiation Unit were later called in but Iskandah remained uncooperative. At one point, Iskandah was also seen consuming drugs while in the unit with the boy. He refused to say why he held the boy and rejected offers to speak with his girlfriend with one of his hands handcuffed to the gate or speak to her over the phone.

The police noted that Iskandah was incoherent at times but alert to movement and noises. He stayed near the boy, who was seen sleeping during most of the negotiation process.

At around 10.45am on 28 September, Iskandah appeared to be restless as he walked around the house. He requested for a pack of cigarettes but refused to free the boy in exchange for cigarettes.

Shortly after noon, when Iskandah took a toilet break at 12.03pm, a Special Operations Command (SOC) team broke into the unit through the window and removed the front gate. The team rescued the boy and arrested Iskandah.

Iskandah later admitted that he did not let the boy go as he believed that the girlfriend would report his drug consumption to the police if she were to leave with the boy. “(Iskandah) felt that by keeping the victim as collateral in the unit with him, (the girlfriend) could not ‘get rid’ of him by reporting him for drug use,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Stephanie Koh.

During the negotiations, an airbag and ambulance were deployed and a police cordon set up in the block and the carpark. The SOC ‘STAR’ team and the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s ‘DART’ team were also activated for the purposes of forcing entry.

On the same day, a packet of methamphetamine was found in the girlfriend’s possession. Both the girlfriend and Iskandah admitted to sharing the drug for their consumption.

Iskandah was previously sentenced to 12 months’ jail in 2001 for drug consumption. He was also sentenced to two weeks’ jail and three months’ jail on two theft offences in 2003 and 2007, respectively. In 2009, Iskandah was jailed for four years and caned six strokes for attempted rape.

DPP Koh asked for an “updated psychiatric report” for Iskandah before the prosecution decided on its sentencing submissions.

In mitigation, Iskandah said he was “seeking leniency” and hoped he “can be sentenced today”.

For kidnapping, he can be jailed for up to ten years and/or fined and/or caned. For possessing a scheduled weapon, he can be jailed up to five years and/or caned a maximum six strokes on a first offence.