SINGAPORE: A GrabHitch driver who molested two women he picked up in the same day was sentenced to a year and 10 months' jail on Tuesday (Dec 17).
Tan Keng Leng, 39, molested the victims aged 24 and 46 when they had to sit in the front passenger seat beside him due to either a locked back door or items in the backseat.
AdvertisementAdvertisementTan pleaded guilty to three counts of outrage of modesty, with another two charges taken into consideration.
The court heard that the two incidents occurred within an hour of the same day on Oct 12 last year.
Tan picked up the first victim, the 46-year-old woman, after she booked a GrabHitch via the Grab mobile app.
GrabHitch is a social carpooling service where non-commercial drivers can give passengers going the same way a lift for a fee.
AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen she got to Tan's vehicle, the woman tried to board the vehicle through the rear door, but it was locked.
Tan told her to sit in the front passenger seat as there were some files in the back, and she complied.
As they travelled along the Pan Island Expressway at about 5.30pm, the victim felt Tan's left elbow touching the right side of her arm.
Thinking this was accidental, she shifted her body to the left, but Tan extended his elbow towards her and touched her breast with it at least four times throughout the journey.
When they reached a car park, he placed his hand on her waist. The woman made a police report later that night.
TARGETED SECOND WOMAN WITHIN THE HOUR
Not long after dropping the first woman off, Tan picked up another victim, aged 24.
She had also booked a ride via GrabHitch and intended to sit in the back, but saw files and paper in the back, so she sat in front.
While the car was travelling along East Coast Road at about 6.20pm, Tan moved closer to the victim and extended his elbow towards her, brushing against her chest.
The woman shifted away from the driver, but Tan placed his left elbow on the centre console and talked to the woman, gesturing with his left hand.
Whenever the car drove over a bump or rough road surface, he touched her chest with his left hand over her clothing. This happened at least three times, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yi Ling.
When they arrived at a car park, Tan touched the woman's abdominal and hip area.
Ms Goh had asked for two years' jail, noting that Tan had initially wanted to claim trial but later pleaded guilty.
As a GrabHitch driver, he was considered a public transport worker with the responsibility of ensuring his passengers' safety, said Ms Goh.
There was premeditation involved, she added, as Tan specifically targeted his passengers by making them sit in front, and they could not escape as they were in the confines of his vehicle.
"The accused committed the offences against both victims in succession – the second victim was his next passenger after the first victim," pointed out the prosecutor.
The judge granted a deferment of his sentence to Jan 16.
For each count of outraging a person's modesty, Tan could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.
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