A 28-year-old male Grab driver was repeatedly and mercilessly molested by two passengers, who alleged: “God had sent them to pleasure him”.
The two male passengers also claimed “they were women disguised as men” and found the driver “cute.”
The two men, 40-year-old Goh Suet Hong and 41-year-old Neo Wei Meng, were sentenced to one-year imprisonment with two strokes of the cane and 14 months’ imprisonment with three strokes of the cane, respectively, on Thursday (July 7).
The court heard that Goh and Neo consumed alcoholic drinks at a nightspot along Neil Road on Nov 11, 2018.
They booked a Grab car the following morning for Neo’s destination in Hougang and Goh’s in Punggol.
“When they boarded the victim’s car, they were feeling the effects of the alcohol they had rapidly consumed and their inhibitions were lowered,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon in a Straits Times report.
“Both Neo and Goh sat in the rear seat when they entered the victim’s car. The prosecution’s case is that Goh sat directly behind the victim, while Neo sat in the middle of the rear passenger seat.”
As they went on their way, Goh reached over to the victim’s right shoulder and across his chest. Neo also leaned forward and touched the driver’s genitals.
“The victim did not consent to any of this contact. In fact, he repeatedly testified that he told Neo and Goh to stop on multiple occasions. They ignored him,” said DPP Menon to the court.
After dropping Neo at Hougang, Goh transferred to the front seat and kissed the victim on the cheek and his lips soon after. He also rubbed the victim’s genitals, which the latter didn’t consent to.
Upon arrival at Punggol, Goh told the driver to enter a multi-storey carpark. He exited the vehicle and told the driver to wait while he relieved himself.
However, the driver drove off to the nearby Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre to file a police report.
“The victim did not flee the scene in Hougang because he needed to complete the trip to avoid being suspended by Grab. At the time, Grab was his only source of income,” said DPP Menon.
The victim also didn’t terminate the trip for fear of having his Grab account suspended.
Meanwhile, Neo claimed he promptly fell asleep in the car and denied the sexual assault.
DPP Menon argued, “The victim’s testimony should be given full credit. He wasted no time reporting the offences at Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre when they were fresh in his mind. He has no reason to lie or to falsely implicate either Neo or Goh.”
Reports noted that the offenders plan to appeal their sentences. Molestation carries a penalty of up to two years imprisonment, a fine, caning, or a combination of the three punishments.
Magistrate Hairul Hakkim Kuthibutheen handed down the sentences on Thursday, noting the incident traumatized the victim.
He is currently doing food deliveries yet cannot face customers. The victim would run away after handing over the order, said Magistrate Hairul. Furthermore, the offenders committed group sexual assault on a public transport worker in a moving vehicle, posing a safety hazard for other road users.
Netizens commented on the sentence, noting it was “inconsistent” compared to other cases.
Others noted that the driver handled the situation “with extreme professionalism” and should be compensated for what happened.
/TISG
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