Man jailed and caned for slashing policeman and uploading girlfriend’s nude video
After their relationship soured in March last year, a man uploaded his girlfriend’s nude photos and video on her Facebook page. When police officers tried to ambush the man for the offences after the girlfriend made a police report, he slashed an officer on the bicep, causing an 8cm-long laceration.
The 25-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to six years and two months’ jail, and given six strokes of the cane for his offences on Friday (22 September). The chef had faced a total of 23 charges, which include voluntarily causing grievous hurt, drug-related offences, unauthorised login to online accounts, theft and cheating. He was convicted on nine charges while the rest were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The man’s drug consumption and possession offences were discovered when he did a urine test following his arrest for assaulting the police officer.
The offences involving online accounts arose after he had a dispute with his then-girlfriend, 18, on 6 March last year. His girlfriend decided to ignore him after their quarrel. Both cannot be named due to a gag order.
The man, who knew his girlfriend’s passwords, decided to change her account’s password to lock her out of her own Facebook page. However, the girlfriend would reset the password by using her Gmail account.
Within the next three days, the man changed the password of the girlfriend’s Gmail account. The girlfriend was unable to reset her password as he had taken her handphone away during an earlier quarrel.
On 9 and 10 March, the man accessed the girlfriend’s Facebook multiple times and posted a compromising photo and video of her, which were obtained from her previously. Afraid that the man would post more photos or videos, the girlfriend lodged a police report on 10 March around 6pm.
Police officers decided to follow up on the case on the same day. They made arrangements with the girlfriend who agreed to draw the man out of his apartment by asking him for a meeting downstairs via text.
At 9.30pm that day, police officers dressed in civilian clothing lay in wait for the man outside his flat in Geylang. Senior Investigator (SI) Jimmy Tan stood at the lift lobby pretending to wait for the lift while his two colleagues waited behind a door at the staircase landing.
The man, who received the girlfriend’s text, was about to step out of his house when he noticed someone looking through the glass panel of the staircase door. He decided to arm himself with a 33cm-long bread knife, which he used for work. After concealing the knife under his shorts and T-shirt, he left the house at around 9.40pm.
Upon seeing the man, SI Tan moved towards him while taking out his police pass. At the same time, his colleagues rushed out of the staircase landing and shouted “police”. At this point, the man took out his knife and slashed SI Tan’s right bicep. The man was placed under arrest after a short struggle with the officers, who eventually disarmed him.
SI Tan was conveyed to hospital where he was found to have an 8cm laceration on his upper arm. He was given 30 days’ hospitalisation leave and placed on medical leave until 29 April.
After the man’s arrest, his urine samples were taken and they tested positive for methamphetamine. Police officers later raided his flat where they found the drug.
The man was placed on court bail, but went on to commit theft and cheating offences between April and May 2016. He cheated 22-year-old Tay Kah Bee of $1,300 by making her believe that she would be investing in his non-existent gold chain business.
Tay had seen an advertisement on the man’s Facebook page about the fake investment opportunity and contacted him about it. She was cheated into transferring money to him on four different occasions for purposes allegedly related to the fake business.
Tay even handed over her NRIC to the man after he told her that he needed more money to invest, along with her Singpass details. He later used the NRIC and Singpass details to cheat licensed moneylenders of $5,000 on three separate occasions. He had with him a female accomplice who would pretend to be Tay on all three occasions.
Also while on bail in April 2016, the man stole $11,980 worth of jewellery together with three other accomplices in a flat near his block in April.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Nim sought a jail term of six years and six months, plus six strokes of the cane. The man’s lawyer, Cory Wong Guo Yean, asked for a jail term of not more than six years and between three and six strokes of the cane.
The lawyer said that his client, who comes from a relatively well-to-do family, had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) since young. The defence submitted a psychiatric report stating that ADHD has impaired his client’s “emotional, social and education functioning”.
The report added that the man relapsed into drug use after the break-up with his girlfriend. As for the cheating offences, his client has made full restitution to the victims, said Wong.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, the man could have been jailed up to 15 years and/or fined, and/or caned. For unauthorised modification of the contents of any computer, he could have been jailed up to three years and/or fined up to $10,000 on his first conviction.
