Updated: 02/04/2014 14:51 | By Channel NewsAsia
Man gets jail, cane for armed robbery and molest
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SINGAPORE: A 33-year-old man was on Tuesday jailed six years and ordered to receive 20 strokes of the cane for robbing two teenagers in a lift and molesting one of them.
Kang Boon Khoon -- a waiter who is married with no children -- committed the offences in August 2013, at two HDB blocks in Choa Chu Kang.
The court heard that in the case of the first victim -- a 19-year-old girl -- Kang had followed her with the intent of stealing her Samsung mobile phone. This took place on August 11, around 10.30pm.
When the girl entered the lift, Kang followed her in and pressed the button for the 12th floor.
As the girl was about to walk out of the lift on the third floor, Kang stopped her from doing so by grabbing her neck from behind with his right forearm, and pulling her back into the lift.
The victim struggled and screamed for help.
When she did not stop, Kang pulled out a knife, pointed it at her face, and told her to stop screaming. He then molested her, took her mobile phone, and ran out of the lift when it hit the 12th floor.
Kang struck again 10 days later.
This time, his victim was a 16-year-old girl.
Around 6.45pm on August 21st, Kang followed the victim into the lift. Again, as the victim was about to exit the lift, Kang grabbed her by the neck, and covered her mouth with his hand.
He then took her wallet -- which contained S$12, her EZ-link card and house keys -- and fled.
According to court documents, Kang would target young girls as he considered them easy victims, and would also commit the crimes near his home so he could run home quickly.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Raja Mohan highlighted to the court that Kang's offences were pre-meditated and well-planned, and that the victims suffered physical, psychological and emotional harm.
Kang's lawyer Cheng Kim Kuan submitted that his client carried out the crimes against the backdrop of a deeply unhappy marriage and stress as a result of financial difficulties. - CNA/ac
