Man slipped erectile dysfunction drug into woman's drink after she spurned him for taking her photo

Andrew Wong
The Straits Times
March 12, 2024

A man who put a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction into a woman’s drink was sentenced to four months’ jail on March 12.

Kim Dong-hun, 33, had earlier that day pleaded guilty to causing hurt by means of poison.

The South Korean national was here on holiday on Nov 28, 2023, when he was spurned by a woman he had photographed surfing at sports venue Trifecta in Exeter Road.

The venue opened in October 2023, and has the world’s first hybrid skate bowl designed for skateboarding and surfskating.

Kim had approached the woman to show her the picture, but she was unhappy that she had been photographed without permission.

He then put tadalafil – a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction in men – into her drink, knowing it was likely to cause hurt to her.

According to the HealthHub platform, common side effects of the medication include nausea and headache, while rare but serious side effects include sudden vision and hearing loss.

There is a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.

Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon said Kim was motivated by spite, as he was angered by his interaction with the victim.

DPP Menon said Kim was at Trifecta to take photos of people surfing, a hobby of his, but the victim was unhappy that Kim did not ask her for permission.

DPP Menon added: “She was unsettled that the accused had taken photos of her without her consent. She did not aggravate the interaction, but merely walked away.”

The victim, who was with her boyfriend, had felt giddy after ingesting the drink. She made a police report after noticing white powder on the cover of her drink.

In mitigation, Kim, who spoke through an interpreter, said he had initially left Singapore to return to South Korea after the incident on Nov 28, 2023.

But he felt remorseful and guilty, and returned to Singapore a month later on Dec 29, 2023, with the intention to apologise to both the victim and Trifecta.

Kim added that he was not under the influence of alcohol, and did not have any intention to commit sexual offences against the victim.

He said he simply could not control his emotions at the time, adding that he did not understand English and the victim’s reaction had angered him.

He added that he had prepared letters of apology to the victim when he returned to Singapore, but forgot about them during investigations.

Kim, who appeared in court via video link, was seen wiping tears away as the incident was read out to him.

DPP Menon, who sought a sentence of between four and five months’ jail, said Kim was not forthcoming during investigations until he was shown closed-circuit television footage of the incident.

For causing hurt by means of poison, one can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined and caned.