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Man jailed, caned for restraining and molesting maid in car park

FILE PHOTO: Dhany Osman/Yahoo News Singapore
FILE PHOTO: Dhany Osman/Yahoo News Singapore

He would lurk near a maid who was washing her employer’s car early in the morning on several occasions.

The man, who took a fancy to her because of her looks, eventually decided to restrain and forcibly kiss her.

Feng Dexing, a 34-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to 27 months and two weeks’ jail plus three strokes of the cane on Monday (18 December) for molesting the maid and two separate cases of theft. Two other counts of theft were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The 24-year-old maid, who is from Myanmar, cannot be named due to a gag order.

The court heard that the woman would see Feng, who is unemployed, on some mornings while she was going about her daily routine of washing her employer’s car. Feng had also noticed the woman wiping the car at least twice in a week, at around 5.45am.

On 9 April this year, the woman headed to the car park at the same time to wash the car when she noticed the man standing nearby. She ignored him while she went about her task.

However, Feng decided to approach the woman as he “liked her looks”, said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Gail Wong.

While the woman was washing the car, Feng approached her from behind, reached his right hand over her shoulder and covered her mouth. He also pressed the woman to his body while attempting to tug the woman’s skirt down.

The woman struggled and tried to push Feng’s hand away. She sat down on the ground to prevent Feng from pulling her skirt down and shouted for help. Feng then sat beside the woman and persisted in tugging the woman’s skirt. He told the woman to keep quiet while the woman kicked and pushed him.

When the woman succeeded in pushing away the hand covering her mouth, Feng kissed her on her lips while hugging the woman forcibly. The woman kept her lips shut but felt Feng trying to force his tongue into her mouth. When the woman pushed him on the chest, Feng slapped her hard on the back of her head.

At that time, the woman spotted a cyclist passing by. She pushed Feng away, got up and ran to the cyclist for help. Feng then fled the scene.

Feng was also convicted of stealing a Samsung Note 5 from a man who fell asleep at a bench at a playground on 16 April last year. He sold the phone at a secondhand mobile shop for about $100. The phone was not recovered.

Feng committed theft again on 28 March this year when he stole laundry from a flat in Tampines. He stole a t-shirt which was on a bamboo pole and threw the shirt away after wearing it.

DPP Wong sought a jail sentence of 30 months and at least three strokes of the cane on the aggravated molest charge, arguing that the case would have caused public disquiet as it occurred in the early hours of the morning in a residential area.

She added that Feng had tried to restrain the victim and later slapped her on the head.

Feng, who was unrepresented, asked to start serving his sentence after Chinese New Year, but the court rejected his request.

For outraging the woman’s modesty after wrongfully restraining her, Feng could have been jailed between two and 10 years, and caned.