SINGAPORE: A man took a liking to a woman who walked with a limp, as he had a “sexual interest in disabled females”, and began visiting her workplace several times a week to observe her.
When he approached her, she rejected his advances, and he took revenge by attempting to rob her in a lift. He also molested her and kicked her leg.
Mohammad Syafiq Othman, 25, was sentenced to six years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Tuesday (Jan 31).
He pleaded guilty to one charge each of aggravated outrage of modesty and attempted robbery. A third charge of voluntarily causing hurt was taken into consideration.
The court heard that Syafiq noticed the victim, a 26-year-old retail assistant, working at a booth in August 2022.
The location was redacted from court documents as the victim’s identity is protected by gag order.
Syafiq found the victim attractive, because she walked with a limp and he has a sexual interest in disabled females, said the prosecutor.
He began visiting the victim’s workplace three to four times a week to observe her. He also stalked her once from her workplace to Redhill MRT.
In end-August 2022, Syafiq approached the victim while she was at work and asked what time her shop closed.
She told him, and he returned to look for her at closing time. He asked her for her number, but she rejected him.
SHE REJECTED HIS ADVANCES
He then asked her for her Instagram username, and the victim gave it to him, but did not accept his follow request on Instagram. Instead, she blocked him.
On Sep 10, 2022, Syafiq approached the victim, appearing upset. He asked why she did not “follow” him on his Instagram account before walking off.
On Sep 21, 2022, Syafiq went to the victim’s workplace and observed her for almost an hour.
When she ended work, he trailed 2m behind her so she would not discover him, and followed her from Jurong MRT Station to Buona Vista MRT Station.
The victim walked to the void deck of her block and entered a lift at about 10.45pm.
Syafiq entered the lift and stood behind her.
After the doors closed, Syafiq choked the victim from behind with his arm and held a penknife in his left hand.
The victim screamed loudly and struggled to get free. When the lift doors opened at the seventh floor, Syafiq pressed the doors closed while keeping the victim restrained.
He wanted the victim to feel afraid and he wanted to ask her for money, the court heard.
He pointed the penknife at the victim’s neck and told her he had been “crazy” for her for a long time. He asked her to shut up as she was screaming for help.
The victim pleaded with Syafiq not to “force her” and asked what he wanted. He asked if she had money, and the victim removed her pouch to pass it to him.
Before she could do so, Syafiq rammed the victim against the back of the lift and the pouch fell to the floor. It contained some perfume, a pair of glasses and an EZ-Link card.
While keeping the victim restrained, Syafiq molested the victim in multiple places.
She fell to the floor and he kicked at her leg area, leaving a bruise on her knee.
The lift eventually went back to the first floor and the victim tried to escape while screaming loudly for help.
Syafiq grabbed her by the neck and dragged her back into the lift, before running away.
He later admitted doing all this because he wanted to take revenge on the victim for rejecting his advances.
The prosecutor asked for six to seven years’ jail with 12 strokes of the cane.
She said Syafiq has previous offences committed in 2020 for unlawful stalking, appearing nude in public, mischief and public nuisance. He was given fines and jail terms for these offences.