Former Singapore Police Force national serviceman, Jonathan Chua Wei Cong, has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail for insulting a policewoman’s modesty and criminal trespass.
The 26-year-old was found guilty of entering a female toilet at a police unit while a 30-year-old policewoman was showering inside a cubicle, according to The Straits Times.
During the trial, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao described Chua as showing a lack of remorse for his actions. Chua was offered bail of $15,000 and is intending to appeal against his conviction and sentence.
The incident occurred on March 12, 2019, when Chua and two male coursemates ended their lessons at the police unit and made their way to a male toilet after passing by a female toilet. The two coursemates left the male toilet first, and Chua caught up with them a few minutes later. He was alone during the 30 seconds to three minutes his coursemates left him.
FOLLOWED BY A SPIRIT
It was during this time that Chua trespassed into the female toilet, placing his mobile phone on top of the cubicle door where the policewoman was showering.
Chua claimed that he was being followed by a spirit and entered the female toilet under its spell. He added that he could not remember the details of the incident because his mind was “blank” at the time.
The victim, whose details cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect her identity, stated that when she saw the phone pointed at her, she “blanked out” and felt “humiliated.”
She broke down and started sobbing when she was asked to recall how she felt.
According to DPP Tan, Chua was the only one who could have entered the female toilet while the victim was showering. Chua claimed that he had accidentally pushed open the main door of the female toilet that day but did not enter the restroom. He also denied being the intruder, claiming there was no one showering there when he opened the door.
During the trial, the victim testified that she had gone to take a shower at around 4.45pm and that she heard the main toilet door open about 10 minutes later, according to ST report.
DPP Tan said: “About five to 10 seconds later, she turned to face the… cubicle door and saw a mobile phone appearing in an upward motion from the top right-hand side of the said door.
“The victim froze initially before she reacted by shouting ‘Oi’ loudly. She saw the phone move downwards, disappearing from her sight. She heard the main toilet door widen before she heard the said door close.”
NO REMORSE
The policewoman reported the incident to her superiors and described the phone that she saw before filing a police report.
On Thursday, the Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan urged the court to impose a sentence of 10 to 12 weeks’ imprisonment on Chua, citing the victim’s trauma as a result of the incident.
DPP Tan also emphasized that Chua, being a former member of the Singapore Police Force, should be held to a higher standard and that he had shown no remorse for his actions.
However, Chua’s defense lawyer, Josephine Costan, requested the judge to commission a report to evaluate Chua’s suitability for probation. Costan argued that since there was no video evidence of the incident and Chua was not charged with attempting to record the officer’s images, probation should be considered.
But Judge Tan ruled out probation as a viable option before delivering the sentence on Thursday. She also noted that Chua’s mobile phone had recording capability, indicating that he intended to create a record of the victim.
Judge Tan further stated that Chua’s failure to do so was not a mitigating factor. Chua was granted bail of $15,000, and he intends to challenge his conviction and sentence through an appeal.
Images : Straits Times & Google Image
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