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Today, Singapore, 9 March 2010
Rape of ex-girlfriend's Mum
25 years' jail, 24 strokes for rapist
There was premeditation, planning involved: Judge
By Teo Xuanwei
SINGAPORE -- For six hours, he had his victim -- the 48-year-old mother of an ex-girlfriend -- gagged and bound while he repeatedly tried to rape her in her flat.
Even when his ex-girlfriend returned home in the middle of his sexual assault, he simply stuffed a cloth under the victim's bedroom door and brazenly continued his attack. He only left the flat after he had succeeded in his act.
Yesterday, the 27-year-old dispatch rider pleaded guilty to four charges and was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane for the offences that took place on April 4 last year.
The offender cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim.
The High Court heard that the man had broken into the flat around 1am -- using keys he had stolen in November 2008 -- with the intention of burglary. He wrapped his face and head with his T-shirt and also wore gloves.
After entering the victim's bedroom, he taped her eyes and mouth and tied her arms over her head to the bedpost, such that her head hung over the edge of the bed. He then removed her pants and attempted to rape her -- but his efforts were unsuccessful as he was unable to sustain an erection.
However, he continued his unrelenting assault until he succeeded.
When he left the house at about daybreak, he took the victim's mobile phone and $100. He also took care to remove incriminating evidence, such as stained tissue paper, the masking tape and his T-shirt.
By the time the victim managed to break free and telephone her sister for help, some seven hours had elapsed since her ordeal began.
Urging the "harshest sentence to impress upon him society's condemnation of his conduct", Deputy Public Prosecutor Chua Ying-Hong said "the deeply dehumanising manner in which the accused treated the victim revealed that he clearly regarded the victim as little more than an object to be exploited for his sexual gratification".
By violating the victim in her own home, he had also turned her haven and sanctuary into "a constant reminder of her agony", she added.
The meticulous manner in which he cleaned up the crime scene showed that he had hoped to escape scot-free, said DPP Chua. He also asked his ex-girlfriend several times after the attack if the police had discovered any evidence.
Justice Chan Seng Onn agreed with the prosecution and noted that there was "much premeditation and planning involved".
The man was convicted on four charges -- attempted aggravated rape, aggravated sexual assault by penetration, aggravated rape, and housebreaking by night to commit theft -- with three other charges taken into consideration.
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The Straits Times, Singapore, 11 March 2010
Geylang attack: Jail, caning for gang of 7
By Selina Lum
THE leader of a gang of seven who slashed to death the operator of an illegal gambling den was yesterday given a 20-year jail term and 18 strokes of the cane.
His fellow gang members each received 12 years and 10 strokes.
The seven pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter; another man alleged to have been involved in the attack, Mohamad Najiman Abdull Azis, 31, has claimed trial to a murder charge.
The attack on Mr Seah Boon Lye, 26, in Geylang Lorong 10 in the early hours of Feb 23, 2008, arose from a gangland dispute.
The accused are gang leader Suhardi Ali, 30; Ahmad Suhaimi Ismail, 17; Sufian Nordin, 24; Muhammad Haziq Mohamed, 20; Jason Luo Weiqiang, 22; Muhammad Syukur Mohamed Salleh, 19; and Adrian Toh Huang Shee, 19.
They had gone up against Mr Seah and his younger brother Boon Heng, who were also in illicit trades in the Geylang area.
Five days before the attack, the Seah brothers paid Suhardi $800 for 2.5g of Ice. The next day, Suhardi delivered the drugs, but the brothers rejected it as the amount fell short. Suhardi promised to deliver the correct amount, but became uncontactable over the next two days.
Separately, a dispute also arose between the two parties over a missing sum of $200. As a result, a "settlement talk" was arranged for Feb 23.
The meeting ended with the Seah brothers taking Ahmad Suhaimi's cellphone as collateral for the $800 owed to them. But Mohamad Najiman felt they should get the phone back, so the group found the Seahs and set upon them. The younger Seah was unhurt, but his brother received 15 wounds and died in hospital.
Justice Woo Bih Li noted that the group's violence was premeditated, and that Suhardi and Ahmad Suhaimi were the most responsible for creating tension with the Seahs. But he said the Seahs were also partly to blame.
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