SINGAPORE: A 45-year-old man who abused methamphetamine and then stalked his ex-girlfriend at her home, her friends’ homes and her son’s school was jailed for a year and 24 days on Friday (Nov 29).
Ng Poh Heng pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act and two charges of possession and consumption of the drug.
Ng was in a relationship that ended in early 2024. He moved out of the home he shared with his ex-girlfriend and her son from a previous relationship in March 2024.
However, Ng remained unhappy after the break-up and felt that his ex-girlfriend had not been forthcoming about some things.
“He also felt aggrieved that the relationship had ended as he felt that he had treated her well during the relationship, including providing for her materially,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Tan said.
Ng repeatedly tried to contact the woman through phone calls and text messages. He also tried to reach her through her mother, telling her he wanted to die.
The ex-girlfriend blocked his number to prevent him from contacting her.
In the early hours of Apr 17, Ng sent his ex-girlfriend’s friend a video of himself driving at high speed, and a message saying he had taken many pills.
He then sent the friend a video of himself being involved in a car accident. The friend forwarded these videos and messages to Ng’s ex-girlfriend.
At about 11am, Ng went to the house where he used to live with his ex-girlfriend. He called out to her, but there was no response.
He then used his keys to unlock the front door, but could not unlock the front gate as the lock had been changed.
After shouting for the woman to come out and getting no response, he took two ceramic tiles placed outside and threw them into the house in anger.
Ng’s ex-girlfriend was out with another friend at the time, and saw his actions through a closed-circuit television camera she had installed outside her home.
Ng next drove to the homes of two of his ex-girlfriend’s friends to look for her, but she was not there, and the friends were also not at home.
The helper of one of the friends informed her employer that Ng had come by, and the friend informed Ng’s ex-girlfriend of this.
In his anger, Ng also damaged a prayer altar outside one of the friend’s homes. He took a photo of this and sent it to the friend.
At about 2pm, Ng went to the school where his ex-girlfriend’s 14-year-old son studied and met with the son outside the school’s general office.
When Ng confronted the boy about why his mother had cut off contact with him, the boy said it was because he took drugs. He also said he believed his mother was at home.
A teacher came out and brought Ng and the boy into the general office to speak with the vice-principal. After this, Ng left the school and drove to his ex-girlfriend’s place again, but could not find her.
The woman was alarmed and distressed by Ng’s messages and repeated attempts to look for her. She also felt unsafe to return home, fearing that he would go there, the prosecutor said.
She went to a neighbourhood police centre to make a police report.
But through her friend, Ng became aware that she was at the police station making a report, and drove there to look for her.
He arrived at about 4pm and kept shouting and behaving rowdily, despite attempts by police officers to calm him down.
The officers eventually subdued and arrested him for disorderly behaviour. They also searched his car and found a packet of crystal methamphetamine and drug-related paraphernalia.
Ng tested positive for the drug, and admitted to taking it in Malaysia two days before.
The prosecutor asked for a jail term comprising one year for drug consumption and four to six weeks for stalking the woman.
He said Ng’s ex-girlfriend had made it clear she did not want contact with him, so Ng knew that his actions were likely to distress her.
In sentencing, District Judge Crystal Goh noted that Ng’s actions took place over a relatively short period of five hours, and were not done with a meaningful degree of premeditation.
The maximum punishment for stalking by a first-time offender is a year in jail, a fine of S$5,000 or both.
For possessing a controlled drug, Ng could have been jailed for up to 10 years, fined S$20,000 or both.