Man fined S$4,200 for stalking his insurance agent after she rejected his romantic advances
By LOUISA TANG
Published FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Updated FEBRUARY 25, 2021
526 SHARES
Simon Lee/Facebook
Simon Lee Yong Sheng (pictured) pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawful stalking.
Simon Lee Yong Sheng, a real estate agent, harassed an insurance agent for about seven months
He sent her many messages on the phone, called her and sent gifts at least twice to her workplace
A colleague finally called the police when he tailed them around Newton MRT Station
The victim could not block his calls and advances because she still owed a professional duty to him as his agent
SINGAPORE — Infatuated with his insurance agent who had rejected his advances, Simon Lee Yong Sheng began persistently calling her and sending gifts to her workplace.
She could not block his number, however, because she still had to advise him on insurance policy-related issues. Ending their professional relationship would also adversely affect her work performance.
Lee, a 31-year-old real estate agent, was fined S$4,200 on Thursday (Feb 25) after pleading guilty to one charge of unlawful stalking. He had initially wanted to claim trial.
Lee and his victim, who cannot be named due to a court order to protect her identity, met at a Prudential insurance roadshow in 2017. They met up later to discuss insurance policy matters.
He grew attracted to her towards the end of 2018 and told her face-to-face that he wanted to woo her, but she rebuffed him and said that she just wanted to maintain a professional relationship with him.
Undeterred, Lee began approaching the victim in different ways, including calling her and sending her gifts at her workplace on special occasions.
She avoided taking his calls and pleaded with him not to send her gifts, as she would get into trouble with her superiors.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yee Jia Rong told the court: “By July 2019, the frequency and intensity of the accused’s communications had escalated to the point where the victim began feeling alarmed and harassed by the accused’s actions.”
Over the next seven months, Lee sent her at least 44 text and WhatsApp messages. He threatened to terminate his insurance policies with her in some of these messages.
He also called her at least 11 times, sent her gifts at least twice and physically followed her on three occasions.
On 16 July, 2019, she was walking to Novena MRT Station when she saw him walking in the opposite direction.
When he began to tail her, she told him that she could not speak to him, but he persisted in following her onto the train all the way back to her workplace.
He left when she told him off and entered the building.
About four months later on Nov 8, 2019, he spotted her meeting two clients at a cafe in Tanjong Pagar.
When she was about to leave with a female colleague and the clients, he approached her. He refused to stay away and she had to ask her clients if she could follow them back to their home for her safety.
Lee continued to wait at the void deck of the housing block where the clients lived before finally leaving after some time.
Finally, on Feb 11 last year, she bumped into him at Newton MRT Station while with two colleagues. She told him to leave them alone but he insisted on following them.
One of the colleagues called the police.
When the victim tried to escape by taking a lift, he followed her into the lift. She then took another lift but he tailed her until she went to a security post to get help.
Court documents did not reveal when or how he was arrested.
DPP Yee sought the maximum fine of S$5,000, noting that while Lee did not intend to harm the victim, he had stalked her for an “exceptionally lengthy span” despite her pleas for him to stop.
The prosecution did note that Lee had pleaded guilty, cooperated with the authorities and was forthcoming about his contact with the victim during investigations.
For unlawful stalking, he could have been jailed up to a year or fined up to S$5,000, or penalised with both.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...gent-after-she-rejected-his-romantic-advances
By LOUISA TANG
Published FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Updated FEBRUARY 25, 2021
526 SHARES
Simon Lee/Facebook
Simon Lee Yong Sheng (pictured) pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawful stalking.
Simon Lee Yong Sheng, a real estate agent, harassed an insurance agent for about seven months
He sent her many messages on the phone, called her and sent gifts at least twice to her workplace
A colleague finally called the police when he tailed them around Newton MRT Station
The victim could not block his calls and advances because she still owed a professional duty to him as his agent
SINGAPORE — Infatuated with his insurance agent who had rejected his advances, Simon Lee Yong Sheng began persistently calling her and sending gifts to her workplace.
She could not block his number, however, because she still had to advise him on insurance policy-related issues. Ending their professional relationship would also adversely affect her work performance.
Lee, a 31-year-old real estate agent, was fined S$4,200 on Thursday (Feb 25) after pleading guilty to one charge of unlawful stalking. He had initially wanted to claim trial.
Lee and his victim, who cannot be named due to a court order to protect her identity, met at a Prudential insurance roadshow in 2017. They met up later to discuss insurance policy matters.
He grew attracted to her towards the end of 2018 and told her face-to-face that he wanted to woo her, but she rebuffed him and said that she just wanted to maintain a professional relationship with him.
Undeterred, Lee began approaching the victim in different ways, including calling her and sending her gifts at her workplace on special occasions.
She avoided taking his calls and pleaded with him not to send her gifts, as she would get into trouble with her superiors.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yee Jia Rong told the court: “By July 2019, the frequency and intensity of the accused’s communications had escalated to the point where the victim began feeling alarmed and harassed by the accused’s actions.”
Over the next seven months, Lee sent her at least 44 text and WhatsApp messages. He threatened to terminate his insurance policies with her in some of these messages.
He also called her at least 11 times, sent her gifts at least twice and physically followed her on three occasions.
On 16 July, 2019, she was walking to Novena MRT Station when she saw him walking in the opposite direction.
When he began to tail her, she told him that she could not speak to him, but he persisted in following her onto the train all the way back to her workplace.
He left when she told him off and entered the building.
About four months later on Nov 8, 2019, he spotted her meeting two clients at a cafe in Tanjong Pagar.
When she was about to leave with a female colleague and the clients, he approached her. He refused to stay away and she had to ask her clients if she could follow them back to their home for her safety.
Lee continued to wait at the void deck of the housing block where the clients lived before finally leaving after some time.
Finally, on Feb 11 last year, she bumped into him at Newton MRT Station while with two colleagues. She told him to leave them alone but he insisted on following them.
One of the colleagues called the police.
When the victim tried to escape by taking a lift, he followed her into the lift. She then took another lift but he tailed her until she went to a security post to get help.
Court documents did not reveal when or how he was arrested.
DPP Yee sought the maximum fine of S$5,000, noting that while Lee did not intend to harm the victim, he had stalked her for an “exceptionally lengthy span” despite her pleas for him to stop.
The prosecution did note that Lee had pleaded guilty, cooperated with the authorities and was forthcoming about his contact with the victim during investigations.
For unlawful stalking, he could have been jailed up to a year or fined up to S$5,000, or penalised with both.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...gent-after-she-rejected-his-romantic-advances
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