A Cambodian national named Vong Sarain, aged 35, who worked as a plumber, trespassed into a woman’s condominium unit somewhere in the East Coast area of Singapore to peep at her on 22 July last year.
He pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to 3 weeks imprisonment, according to The Straits Times.
What happened?
The victim, a 44-year-old woman residing in a condominium in the East Coast area, became the target of Vong’s voyeuristic behaviour.
On that day, at about 6.45pm, after completing a plumbing job on the 11th floor of the condominium, Vong found himself waiting for his wife to pick him up.
Bored and perhaps driven by curiosity, he wandered to the 12th floor and noticed peculiar sounds emanating from the woman’s unit, which piqued his curiosity.
Vong peeped through the window and witnessed the woman inside her home. Fueled by curiosity, he decided to ring the doorbell, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was doing.
Receiving no response, Vong took a drastic step – he climbed through the open kitchen window of the unit, intending to see if he could catch the woman in the act of pleasuring herself.
As Vong found himself inside the woman’s kitchen, his actions were quickly discovered. The woman spotted him and raised her voice.
Vong hastily climbed out of the window and fled the scene. Disturbed and frightened, the woman immediately contacted the authorities, reporting the attempted break-in.
The Legal Proceedings
Vong was soon apprehended and brought to court, where he pleaded guilty to the charge of housebreaking.
District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz presided over the case and expressed her concern about the severity of the crime. She stated that Vong’s actions were particularly sinister, as he entered the woman’s home with the intent of committing voyeurism.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Thaker highlighted the invasion of privacy and the fear that Vong instilled in the victim. She called for a jail sentence of one to two weeks, stressing the need to protect the sanctity of private homes.
The Defense’s Argument
In defense of Vong, his lawyer, Mr. Loo Choon Hiaw, tried to downplay the seriousness of the offense. He argued that the woman was not engaged in any specific activity at the time, attributing Vong’s actions to his imagination running wild.
Additionally, Mr. Loo brought up Vong’s family, emphasizing that he had a wife and child and desired to become a Singapore citizen.
The Verdict
Despite the defense’s plea, Judge Sharmila stood firm in her decision. She emphasized that Vong’s age and lack of an exemplary record for reform worked against him.
The court deemed probation unsuitable, and the judge handed down a sentence of three weeks’ jail for the trespass and voyeurism incident.