Corpun file 6258

Straits Times, Singapore, 9 November 2000

Serial molester jailed 7 years for latest attack

By Wong Fei Wan

HE HAD been caned, jailed and fined. But the recalcitrant molester outraged the modesty of yet another girl.

Yong Chun Choon, 31, was sentenced on Monday to seven years of preventive detention by a district court after he admitted lifting up a teenager's skirt on a bus.

Only three years ago, he had been sentenced to two years in jail and received three strokes of the cane for a similar offence.

The cook committed his latest crime on the night of Oct 12 when he boarded a bus outside the City Hall MRT station.

A 16-year-old girl, who had boarded it earlier at Joo Chiat Road, was seated by a window.

He sat next to her, and promptly inched closer.

Uncomfortable with his advances, she squeezed herself nearer to the window. He apologised to her immediately.

But he again attempted to get close to her -- with the same result.

In all, he did this and apologised seven times.

Then he placed his hand on the girl's skirt.

She quickly tucked her skirt under her thigh. But he was undeterred.

As the bus travelled along Penang Road, he used a finger to lift up her skirt slowly.

When she stared at him, he changed seats.

The girl then called the police, leading to his arrest.

Since 1991, Yong has been fined, jailed and caned for a string of molest offences.

He was fined a total of $1,800 on two occasions in 1991. Three years later, he was jailed for 15 months and received six strokes of the cane.

Corpun file 6294

Straits Times, Singapore, 16 November 2000

Jail, cane for molester who robbed victims

A 20-YEAR-OLD man molested young girls after trying to befriend them in lifts in the Serangoon and Hougang areas. He also assaulted and robbed two of his five victims.

Yesterday, Teo Yew Ghee, who is unemployed, was sentenced to a total of 10 years and nine months in jail and ordered to be given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to five charges.

The punishments he got for molest were between three and nine months' jail and caning. He was sentenced to five years and 12 strokes for each of the two robbery with hurt charges.

The sentences run consecutively.

The offences took place at staircase landings and lift lobbies of various Housing Board blocks between July 14 and Sept 6 this year. Five other charges were considered.

Inspector Kulip Singh told the court that Teo had followed a 15-year-old girl, who turned down his request to be her friend when they were in a lift at an HDB block along Serangoon Avenue 1 on July 14.

He got out with her on the fifth floor of the block and grabbed her blouse from behind.

When she struggled and shouted for help, he covered her mouth and kissed her on the right cheek.

When she refused to hand over her handbag, he punched her on the back and head, and snatched it from her. The bag contained $20, a $640 mobile phone and a $104 Aiwa walkman, among other things.

Three days later, he pressed the breast of a 12-year-old girl who was at a common corridor after she refused to give him her telephone number.

On another occasion, he put his arm around the shoulders of a 16-year-old girl and touched her breast at a lift lobby on Aug 31.

Six days after that, he threatened to scratch a 16-year-old girl on the face with a phonecard when he asked her for money and she said she had none.

When she screamed, he dragged her to a staircase landing where he bit her left index finger, causing her to release her bag, which had a $79 pager, among other things.

Police arrested him in an ambush at Serangoon Central on Sept 13.

Corpun file 6323

Straits Times, Singapore, 19 November 2000

Jail, cane for ex-SMRT technician

A TECHNICIAN kicked and damaged several MRT locomotives in frustration over the extra responsibilities that came with his promotion in July.

Shabidin Bahari, 30, who had been with Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) for five years before he was sacked from his job, damaged the timer relays that control the movement of locomotives.

He brought them to a standstill so he could avoid doing night duty between Aug 17 and Aug 25. The SMRT cannot carry out nightly maintenance and servicing of MRT tracks when the locomotives are out of order.

Investigations showed that Shabidin, unhappy with extra duties he had to perform after his promotion from assistant technician to a technician, had spoken to his supervisor, but no arrangement was made to delegate his tasks.

On Aug 25, he reported for work at the Bishan SMRT Depot at about 10.40 pm, a district court heard on Friday. About an hour later, he went into the operator's cabin of a locomotive, opened a panel box, and kicked its timer relay.

He did the same with another locomotive.

But unknown to him, several officers from the Organised Crime Branch were watching, after being tipped off.

On Friday, he was sentenced to six months' jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to two charges of vandalism. Six similar charges were considered in his sentencing.

In passing sentence, District Judge Adrian Soon said Shabidin's actions were serious and could have repercussions on the integrity of the MRT system. In mitigation, Shabidin's counsel said his client had kicked the device in frustration.

He could have been jailed up to three years for each count.

Corpun file 6380

Straits Times, Singapore, 30 November 2000

Jail and cane for youths who attacked teen

TWO youths slashed a 15-year-old boy a day after one of them had a dispute with the boy.

Ch'ng Leimeng and Yeo Hong Leong, both 18, used a parang and a chopper to slash Chai Tik Wei, a Malaysian, at a coffeeshop in Craig Road, off Tanjong Pagar Road.

Yesterday, a district court sentenced Ch'ng to 15 months in jail, while Yeo was jailed for 12 months after they admitted hurting Tik Wei and being in unlawful possession of weapons.

They will receive six strokes of the cane each.

Two charges each of causing hurt against Ch'ng and Yeo were considered during sentencing.

On July 15, Ch'ng contacted Yeo and told him about a quarrel he had with Tik Wei and his friends the day before at a pub at Tanjong Pagar Road.

He suggested they go there for drinks.

However, Ch'ng asked Yeo to arm himself in case there was a fight.

At about 10.15 pm, Ch'ng saw Tik Wei and his friends at a coffeeshop.

He attacked the boy with a parang.

Yeo, who was waiting outside the shop, took his chopper and joined in the assault.

The Malaysian boy suffered multiple slash wounds on his arm, neck and head.

Counsel for Ch'ng and Yeo pleaded for leniency on behalf of their clients.

They asked the court to give the youths a chance to be better citizens.