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[h=2]Foreigner cleared of molestation charge on appeal[/h]
October 30th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
Mr Paul Joseph Smith had been accused of squeezing a
woman's breast in September last year. (Photo ST).
After a PRC national, Zhai Lu, who is a director of a manufacturing company
in Singapore successfully appealed against his sentence (‘PRC’s
jail sentence reduced from 1 month to 5 days‘), another foreigner, Paul
Joseph Smith, has also successfully appealed against his.
In Zhai’s case, he was originally sentenced to 1 month’s jail for hitting a
taxi driver with a steel rod. His sentence was reduced to 5 days on
appealing.
In Smith’s case, he was earlier found guilty of molesting a woman by
squeezing her breast. After appealing, Smith has been acquitted and is now
totally cleared of his molestation charge.
The alleged molestation was to have taken place in Sep last year.
The woman, Smith and 3 others were having dinner at a restaurant near Mohamed
Sultan Road to celebrate the near-completion of a project. They were part of a
team working together on the project. After dinner, the woman shook Smith’s
hand. That was when she felt her breast being squeezed twice.
Smith’s defence lawyers said it was accidental.
Smith was later sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail for the alleged offence in Jul
this year. He appealed against his sentence.
Last Thur (25 Oct), an appeal judge found there was reasonable doubt about
the incident, and acquitted Smith of the molestation charge.
The judge noted that the woman had not been sure the touch was intentional
when it happened. She had said that if Smith had apologised immediately, she
would have taken it as an accident.
After the appeal, Smith’s lawyer said, “This is one example where a mistaken
witness can make an honest mistake.”
.
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Mr Paul Joseph Smith had been accused of squeezing a
woman's breast in September last year. (Photo ST).
After a PRC national, Zhai Lu, who is a director of a manufacturing company
in Singapore successfully appealed against his sentence (‘PRC’s
jail sentence reduced from 1 month to 5 days‘), another foreigner, Paul
Joseph Smith, has also successfully appealed against his.
In Zhai’s case, he was originally sentenced to 1 month’s jail for hitting a
taxi driver with a steel rod. His sentence was reduced to 5 days on
appealing.
In Smith’s case, he was earlier found guilty of molesting a woman by
squeezing her breast. After appealing, Smith has been acquitted and is now
totally cleared of his molestation charge.
The alleged molestation was to have taken place in Sep last year.
The woman, Smith and 3 others were having dinner at a restaurant near Mohamed
Sultan Road to celebrate the near-completion of a project. They were part of a
team working together on the project. After dinner, the woman shook Smith’s
hand. That was when she felt her breast being squeezed twice.
Smith’s defence lawyers said it was accidental.
Smith was later sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail for the alleged offence in Jul
this year. He appealed against his sentence.
Last Thur (25 Oct), an appeal judge found there was reasonable doubt about
the incident, and acquitted Smith of the molestation charge.
The judge noted that the woman had not been sure the touch was intentional
when it happened. She had said that if Smith had apologised immediately, she
would have taken it as an accident.
After the appeal, Smith’s lawyer said, “This is one example where a mistaken
witness can make an honest mistake.”
.
Join our TRE facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/TREmeritus
.
Rate this (9
Votes)
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