A 29-year-old man named Lua Eng Chau was sentenced to five weeks in jail for breaking into the home of his former colleague and trying to intimidate her.
The defendant, Lua Eng Chau, pleaded guilty to two counts of housebreaking and one count of theft, with four additional related charges considered during sentencing, according to TODAY.
DEATILS OF THE CASE
The incidents occurred between February and April of this year, following a deterioration of Lua’s friendship with the 25-year-old victim, whose identity is protected under a gag order.
Initially, Lua had expressed romantic feelings toward the woman, but after she rejected him and ceased contact, he took alarming steps to confront her.
The court heard that on February 19, Lua, armed with knowledge of the victim’s home layout, used a private hire taxi to reach her residence around 2 a.m. Once there, he discovered the door was unlocked and accessed the home.
In a disturbing encounter, Lua entered the victim’s room, where she caught him staring at her before he fled upon her screams.
The woman promptly reported the incident to the police.
Months later, on April 22, Lua escalated his actions to a more dangerous level. After arriving at the housing block, he concocted a “Spiderman-like” plan, utilizing a rope to climb from the 27th floor to the 25th floor, ultimately accessing the woman’s kitchen window, the report added.
Once inside, he disabled the security cameras and attempted to enter her locked bedroom before fleeing with keys to the home’s digital lock after hearing footsteps.
“At this juncture, when the accused heard footsteps in the unit, he quickly ran off bringing along the keys to the digital lock of the gate,” stated Ms. Kaur.
In addition to the incidents involving the victim, Lua was also convicted for stealing a weighing scale and a bottle of oil valued at S$140 from a restaurant where he previously worked.
During the sentencing hearing reported by TODAY, State Prosecuting Officer Sukhdev Kaur said “On arriving at the unit, the accused opened the front door of the unit and took the gate key from inside the unit. He then unlocked the gate and entered the unit”.
Lua, who represented himself, expressed remorse for causing fear and disruption to both the victim and his family. He pleaded for leniency, claiming that at the time of the incidents, he acted without considering the consequences.
When judge asked why he had committed the offence, “especially when you performed a very dangerous stunt like Spiderman”.
Lua stated that he had “no intention of harming the victim whatsoever” and expressed a desire to seek forgiveness and resolve a misunderstanding.
“At that point in time, I didn’t think through my actions and committed those stunts. In turn, I caused repeated fear to her and her family,” he added.
During sentencing, the judge noted that Lua had demonstrated remorse; however, his actions occurred over an “extended period” and caused significant distress to his victim.
For the offense of housebreaking, Lua faced a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a fine, or both. In the case of theft in a dwelling, he could have received a sentence of up to seven years in prison and a fine.
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