Love can be a turbulent journey, and for one 25-year-old man, it took a dark and unsettling turn. Fueled by anger and frustration, he resorted to threats and harassment against his on-and-off girlfriend, ultimately leading to his incarceration and a hefty fine.
The man cannot be named because of a court order protecting the identity of the victim.
He was sentenced on Tuesday (31 October) to 5 months imprisonment and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening to distribute intimate images and one count of harassment, with another 6 more charges being considered during his sentencing.
Background of the Case
According to The Straits Times, the 25-year-old man had been in a tumultuous romantic relationship with a 35-year-old woman since 2018.
Over the years, they shared intimate photos and videos of each other with each other, making their connection even more complex.
The Threats and Harassment
On February 27, 2022, their relationship took a sinister twist. During a conversation on WhatsApp, the man, who was already upset, believed that she intended to bring other men into her life.
He then reacted by threatening to use black magic on her as well as insulting her. The victim then lodged a police report against the man, citing his harassment over WhatsApp.
2 months later, on 30 April, with the couple having already broken up, the man then sent her an intimate photo of herself without any clothes on and threatened to upload the photo onto Facebook, blaming her for finding a new man and moving on.
The woman then lodged another police report against him.
Then on 19 July, about 3 months later, the man once again sent the victim some more intimate photos of herself, with two of them wearing nothing and another two of her in her underwear.
This time, he threatened to set those photos as his WhatsApp profile photo if she continued to ignore him; the victim then lodged yet another police report against him once again.
Mitigation
During the court proceedings, the defendant, who was not represented by legal counsel, offered an explanation for his behavior.
He attributed his threats and harassment to his anger and extreme stress, citing the recent loss of his mother who had just died at the time.
He also showed up late for his court hearing on Tuesday and told District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong that he was late because his pregnant wife had morning sickness and he had to care for her.
His wife was present at his hearing in court, and reportedly cried during the hearing.
This disturbing case reveals a troubling pattern of behavior. The man had faced similar charges related to the same woman in 2021, resulting in a 10-month jail sentence.