A MACHINE operator would don a surgical mask when he preyed on
young women in the Jurong West area. His dismay was clearly evident
on Friday when he was sentenced to five years in jail and 18
strokes of the cane for molesting five women, three at
knifepoint.
A district court heard that Tan Chee Wei, 21, had even targeted
a 23-year-old sales assistant twice. On the first occasion on Aug
16, the masked Malaysian had followed her down the bus to her block
of flats.
As she got out of the lift, he pulled out a penknife and forced
her to go to the sixth-floor staircase landing. There, he pulled
down his shorts and her panties. He put on a plastic glove to touch
her private parts. Once he noticed she was menstruating, he walked
away.
Nine days later, he saw her walking in the neighbourhood and
followed her home and attacked her again. This time, he fondled her
breasts and inserted his finger into her. He fled when she screamed
for help.
He molested the other women at knifepoint on Aug 20 and 22. Tan
also pleaded guilty to outraging the modesty of a 27-year-old by
hugging her and stroking her hip on Aug 7. For this, he was jailed
three months.
Some family members had come down from Malaysia and he smiled
weakly at them as he was led off to prison by a police officer.
-- ST
