SINGAPORE: The co-founder of a Muay Thai gym was sentenced to seven years and four months' jail and four strokes of the cane on Friday (Mar 6) for sexually assaulting a woman after a trial class.
Tan Wai Luen, 31, had been convicted after a trial of one count of sexual penetration of the 33-year-old victim.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe offence occurred at the Encore Muay Thai gym at 452A Joo Chiat Road on Oct 1, 2016.
Tan had conducted a free trial class for the victim and three other gym customers, and was alone with the victim afterwards discussing gym packages with her.
He offered her a free Thai massage and massaged her as she wore only her panties, before sexually assaulting her with his finger.
The woman shouted "Oi!" and later left the gym, realising as she went that the main door had been locked from the inside.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe prosecutor pushed for eight years and four strokes of the cane. Tan was unrepresented, as his lawyer had earlier discharged himself.
District Judge Ong Chin Rhu on Friday said she found the case involved a certain degree of an abuse of trust, but noted that there had been no prior relationship between the pair, and that they were meeting for the first time on the day of the offence.
She said she did not find that there was enough premeditation for it to be counted as an aggravating factor, saying that Tan had instead seized an opportunity that arose.
Tan indicated that he wanted to appeal. He had claimed in his defence that he had not massaged the victim's inner thigh area at all, as it was a sensitive area for women.
As he did not massage her beyond the lower half of her thighs, it was "impossible" for him to have inserted his finger into her, Tan claimed in his defence.
However, the judge found the victim's testimony to contain a ring of truth and found that Tan lacked credibility.
For sexual assault by penetration, Tan could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.
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