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THE woman whose French boyfriend is accused of smothering her broke down several times when she recounted the alleged assault on day two of the trial.
Yesterday, she told the court she was in the bathroom of her Kembangan apartment in the early hours of March 29 when Sylvain Christian Emile Pilhion, who was completely nude, barged into it.
She came out and snatched a towel, but was chased by the accused.
Pilhion, 38, a businessman, is accused of trying to smother Ms Jocelyn Quynh-Anh Pohl, 38, with a pillow on March 29.
He is also accused of using criminal force to restrain Ms Pohl, a permanent resident here, from leaving her apartment.
He is said to have grabbed her, tossed her on a bed and bit her left hand before trying to smother her.
Ms Pohl, a recruitment consultant, testified that he had sat on her and pinned her down with his hands. He then pushed a pillow into her face.
She fought for her life and somehow both fell off the bed, she said.
After several tries, she was able to escape from the apartment.
Outside, Ms Pohl, an American national, came across a couple and got them to call the police.
She said the attacks had occurred between about 12.30am and 3am and she had been screaming out of fear and pain.
She had wanted to break off with Pilhion after finding out that he was still seeing his wife despite telling her that they were in the midst of a divorce.
His wife, a Chinese national, and daughter were then in Singapore.
Cross-examined by Pilhion’s lawyer, Mr P. E. Ashokan, Ms Pohl said she met the accused in a wine pub in Orchard Road in February last year.
They began dating and a month later, he had moved into an apartment she used to rent in Joo Chiat Terrace.
Ms Pohl said she declined to accept money for half of the rent and utilities as she did not want to be obliged to him.
He would stay there “off and on” but would mess up her place while she went to work, resulting in many quarrels.
Despite her earlier testimony that he had no money and had made use of her, she agreed with Mr Ashokan that he had paid for her trips to Vietnam and France.
She said he was charging these expenses to a credit card whose issuer kept extending the credit limit for him.
He would get money from his parents, she added.
The trial will continue once new hearing dates have been arranged.
If convicted, Pilhion could be jailed for up to three months and/or fined up to $1,500 for using criminal force.
For biting her and causing hurt, the punishment is a jail term of up to two years and/or a $5,000 fine.
For committing the rash bid of smothering her with a pillow, he could be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500.
