A full-time national serviceman (NSF) from the Singapore Police Force entered a female toilet while a policewoman was showering inside a cubicle.
26-year-old Jonathan Chua Wei Cong, who has now finished his national service, placed his phone on the top of the cubicle door.
In his defence, Chua claimed that a "spirit" was following him.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tan Zhi Hao told District Judge Brenda Tan, "He confessed that it was likely that he entered the female restroom 'under the spell of the spirit,' but he could not recall the specifics and did not know since his mind was 'blank' at the moment."
Judge Tan convicted Chua of criminal trespass and insulting a woman's modesty on Tuesday, following a trial.
Due to a gag order issued to protect her identity, details about the 30-year-old policewoman and her unit cannot be disclosed.
In his arguments, DPP Tan stated that on March 12, 2019, Chua and two male classmates concluded their classes at the unit after 4.30 p.m. The group then proceeded to the men's restroom, passing the women's restroom along the way.
According to the two classmates, Chua caught up with them between 30 seconds and three minutes after they exited the male restroom.
"During this time, the defendant was left alone and unsupervised," said DPP Tan.
The victim testified during the trial that she was having a shower at around 4.45 p.m. when she heard the main toilet door open approximately 10 minutes later.
"About five to ten seconds later, she turned to face the... cubicle door and observed a mobile phone rising from the top right corner of said door," said DPP Tan.
"The victim first froze before reacting with a loud 'Oi'. She saw the phone drop and disappear from view. She heard the main bathroom door open before hearing the door close."
The prosecution informed the court that the policewoman dried herself and dressed in less than five minutes before leaving the shower cubicle.
By the time she arrived, the intruder had already vanished.
The policewoman reported the event to her superiors and described the phone she seen. She filed a report with the police that evening.
"During her testimony, the victim indicated that when she noticed the phone pointed at her, she 'went blank' and felt 'humiliated'... When asked to recollect how she felt, she burst into tears and began to cry.
The prosecution further informed the court that only Chua could have entered the female restroom while the victim was bathing.
DPP Tan told the court, "The evidence points to the unavoidable conclusion that the defendant must have been the intruder who placed his phone on top of the... cubicle door and directed it at the victim."
The prosecutor stated that Chua had previously claimed he had unintentionally pushed open the main entrance of the female restroom on that day, but had not entered the restroom.
He also denied being the intruder, stating that when he opened the door there was no one in the shower.
The mitigating and sentencing of Chua is set to occur on March 22.
Have a story? Send to us here sgtelltale@outlook.com
Comments