Singapore— A woman who locked up her former girlfriend in her apartment for nine days last year along with three men, and beat the ex-girlfriend up, has received a prison sentence of more than three years after pleading guilty to several criminal charges.
Noorfarahain Mohd Noorudin, 27, met the woman, age 34, at Dunkin’ Donuts, where they both worked. From November 2016 to November 2017, they were in a relationship.
But on February 9, 2018, the woman went to Ms Noorfarahain’s apartment in Marsiling to take care of Ms Noorfarahain’s young son. There, she found not only Ms Noorfarahain but also Ms Noorfarahain’s current partner, 23-year-old Muhammad Indra Mohamed Yusli, who also happens to be Ms Noorfarahain’s cousin.
Mr Indra’s brother, 21-year-old Muhammad Iskanda Mohamed Yusli, and his friend, 27-year-old Joreemy Abdullah, were also at the flat at the time.
Mr Indra began to argue with the woman, accusing her of making Ms Noorfarahain’s life miserable. The argument turned violent, with Messrs Indra, Iskanda and Jeremy punching the woman. Ms Noorfarahain also joined the assault, slapping the woman on the cheek numerous times.
The woman did not fight back and lay in her own blood on the floor until Mr Indra told her to get up, get cleaned up, and also wipe the blood from the floor.
The woman was told by Mr Indra that she would not be allowed to leave the flat until her wounds had healed. In the meantime, Ms Noorfarahain kept the woman’s cellphone, money, and all of her other personal possessions, rendering her unable to tell anyone where she was.
For the next nine days, she was ordered to sleep on the floor of the living room, as well as do household chores.
Ms Noorfarahain also had the woman take off all her clothes and took a photo of her, telling her, “This is your dignity. So remember before you want to do anything. If you try to run away, I will make the photo viral on the Internet.”
She also used the woman’s phone to text the woman’s mother, asking for S$3,000. The mother eventually sent her daughter S$200, which the woman withdrew and gave to Ms Noorfarahain, out of fear that she would spread the woman’s nude photo online.
By February 18, the captors told the woman to go to Ms Noorfarahain’s mother’s apartment alone, but the woman was too scared to do so. However, early the next morning, she went to Yishun North Neighbourhood Police Centre.
Ms Noorfarahain was arrested on the afternoon of February 19, while her victim was treated at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for injuries to her face, arms, and chest, and granted a week of medical leave.
The judge on the case told Ms Noorfarahain to pay S$300 to the woman for compensation. No charges have been brought against Messrs Iskanda and Jeremy, while Mr Indra’s case is still pending.
Ms Noorfarahain was sentenced to three years and two months’ jail after pleading guilty to one count each of assault, criminal intimidation, extortion, wrongful confinement, and methamphetamine consumption. Since she cannot be caned because she is a woman, an additional 6 weeks of jail time was meted out as punishment for the extortion charge brought against her.
According to James Ow Yong, Ms Noorfarahain’s lawyer, the cause of the fight was financial differences. He said of his client, “She recognises that she truly went overboard… she’s divorced and has a young son, whom she bears responsibility for,” and asked for her jail term to be lowered./ TISG
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