Serial molester jailed 14 weeks for touching women on public buses
Mohd Fuad Othman was jailed for 14 months on Thursday for molesting women on buses.
Published Nov 13, 2015, 12:02 pm SGT
Updated Nov 13, 2015, 3:10 pm
Amir Hussain
SINGAPORE - A 50-year-old cleaner was jailed for 14 weeks on Thursday (Nov 12) for molesting women on public buses.
Mohd Fuad Othman pleaded guilty to two counts of using criminal force to outrage modesty, while a similar charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
The court heard that, at about 4.15pm on Sept 27 this year, Fuad boarded SBS bus number 16 and sat beside a 21-year-old woman, placing his bag on his lap.
During the bus journey, he kept shifting closer towardsher. Fuad brushed his shoulder against hers, and his arm also touched hers.
Fuad also used his hand, which he had concealed underneath his bag, to touch the woman's thigh, below her shorts.
The woman, who had also placed her bag on her lap, thought initially that it was his bag that was touching her.
Later, as she was about to alight from the bus, she lifted her bag and saw his hand on her thigh.
When confronted, Fuad denied touching her and claimed that he was sleeping.
The woman took a picture of him on her mobile phone and made a police report.
The next morning, at about 7.20am, Fuad sat beside a 35-year-old woman on SMRT bus number 854.
Both Fuad and the woman placed their bags on their laps.
During the bus journey, Fuad similarly moved his hand, which he had concealed underneath his bag, to touch the woman's thigh over her knee-length dress.
The woman later moved her bag to adjust her seating position and saw his hand on her thigh. She immediately shouted, and hit his hand with both her hands.
In a state of shock, she then shouted at him to alight from the bus.
Fuad was arrested on Sept 30 and admitted his offences to the police on the same day.
The third offence, which was taken into consideration during sentencing, involved him molesting a 20-year-old woman at about 10pm on July 12 on board SBS bus number 70.
In asking for a three-month jail term, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Soo Tet told the court that Fuad was released from two weeks' imprisonment earlier this year, for similarly molesting another woman on a public bus.
He added that there were aggravating factors in the latest case, including the "brazen" nature of the offences, which were committed on consecutive days.
In mitigation, Fuad told District Judge Christopher Goh that he would like to apologise to his victims.
The judge jailed him for 14 weeks on each proceeded charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. The sentences were backdated to his date of remand on Oct 1.
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