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Chinese national, 32, who tried to rape ex-flatmate in S'pore, fails court appeal, gets more jail time
He claimed he had been "confused" when he pleaded guilty and was not given an opportunity to address the court.
Russell Ang
July 05, 2026, 02:49 PM
Unsplash
A man, who tried to rape his former flatmate, got his jail sentence increased by more than a year after the Court of Appeal in Singapore found that his conduct during the appeal process amounted to an abuse of the court's process.
On Jul. 3, the Court of Appeal increased 32-year-old Gao Xiong's sentence from six years, six months, and six weeks' jail to seven years, seven months, and six weeks' jail.
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He will also receive three strokes of the cane.
Appealed guilty plea
Gao, a Chinese national who was a PhD student at the time of the offences, had pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of attempted rape and three counts of criminal trespass.
At an appeal hearing in May, where he represented himself, Gao claimed he had been "confused" when he pleaded guilty and was not given an opportunity to address the court.
He also attempted to blame the victim for what happened, and claimed that another flatmate who intervened had prevented him from apologising to her.
Judges rejected his arguments
The Court of Appeal, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Hri Kumar Nair, rejected his arguments.
The judges found that Gao had made baseless allegations that sought to undermine the integrity of the earlier court proceedings.
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They noted that Gao had been represented by a lawyer, assisted by an interpreter and had been given ample opportunity to understand the charges before pleading guilty.
When Gao appeared uncertain during the hearing, the trial judge even paused proceedings to allow him to consult his lawyer.
The court added that Gao had "utterly lacked any insight into or remorse for his offending behaviour".
Forced his way into victim's room
The offences took place in October 2023.
Gao and the victim, a 22-year-old Chinese national studying in Singapore at the time, had previously rented separate rooms in the same condominium unit.
After Gao moved out, he began repeatedly asking his former flatmate out over text.
Despite being rejected and told to stop contacting her, he continued to pester her.
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On Oct. 8, 2023, Gao returned to the condominium to look for her, prompting the victim to call the police.
Although he left when officers arrived, he stayed overnight at a nearby bus stop and continued messaging her.
The following night, Gao returned to the unit after another tenant let him in.
He knocked on the victim's bedroom door and claimed he had left his bank card behind, while also apologising for his earlier messages.
When the victim tried to close the door and said she would call the police, Gao forced his way into the room.
He pushed her to the floor, pulled at her dress, and exposed himself.
Another tenant who heard the victim screaming intervened and dragged Gao out of the room before the assault could escalate further.
Committed more offences while on bail
After being charged with attempted rape in October 2023, Gao was released on bail in May 2024.
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While on bail, he committed further trespass offences.
He returned to the condominium twice in an attempt to persuade the victim to withdraw her allegations or obtain her contact details.
In a separate incident at the State Courts, he ignored a "no entry" sign and entered a judge's chambers while insisting on speaking to the judge.
He was remanded again after his bailor withdrew support.
Court sets new sentencing framework
In its written judgment, the Court of Appeal also laid down a new three-stage framework for sentencing criminal attempt offences.
Judges should first determine a starting sentence based on how far the offender progressed in committing the offence.
They should then assess whether a sentencing discount is appropriate depending on whether the offender voluntarily stopped or was prevented by external circumstances.
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Finally, judges should adjust the sentence based on aggravating and mitigating factors specific to the offender.
The case is the first before Singapore's apex court involving a criminal attempt offence after changes to the Penal Code removed the previous rule that generally capped sentences for attempted offences at half the maximum punishment for the completed offence.
