Man jailed, caned for molesting woman near bus stop at Havelock Road

A man who runs an events company was on Tuesday (May 2) sentenced to two years and three months in jail, and four strokes of the cane for molesting a woman last year.

On Aug 2, 38-year-old Benjamin Tan Jook Min had supper at Havelock Road at around 2.30am, and was walking around the area when he spotted the victim across the road at a traffic light junction.

Tan decided to follow the victim because he had the urge to touch her buttocks, the court heard.

He crossed the road and followed the woman who was on her way back home after work.

Court papers did not reveal her occupation, reports The Straits Times.

When the woman stopped look for her handphone, Tan then hid behind an advertisement board near a bus stop.

He wore a pair of work gloves he had in his backpack, before running towards her from behind and covering her mouth with his left hand.

She struggled with him and he molested her after pulling her to the ground.

During the struggle, she grabbed her bag and hit his face with it.

He released his grip on her and she towards the nearby Chin Swee Road, which is where Tan lives.

The woman alerted the police of the incident at around 3.05am.

She subsequently went to the Singapore General Hospital as she had suffered bruises on her forehead, left shoulder and right thigh.

Tan took a longer route home to avoid being caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Investigating police officers, however, viewed CCTV footage from cameras in the neighbourhood.

The footage showed him lurking around the area before he pounced on his victim.

Tan was arrested at his flat two days later.

For molest, he could have been jailed up to 10 years and caned.

The Straits Times

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