Jail, fine for technician who manhandled ex-girlfriend, dragged her on the floor after they reconciled

SINGAPORE — A 41-year-old man was jailed nine weeks and fined S$2,000 on Friday (Oct 15) for various offences against his ex-girlfriend, including dragging her on the floor. 

After assaulting her at Changi Airport, the two reconciled and got engaged, but he assaulted her again when they had an argument.

The Singaporean, who cannot be named to protect his victim’s identity, pleaded guilty to one charge each of using criminal force and voluntarily causing hurt to her. 

They had dated for about one-and-a-half years till the 26-year-old woman broke up with him a day before the first incident on Feb 24 this year. 

The accused entered a restricted area — the “apron area” of the Changi Airport passenger terminal — which was gazetted as a protected place, in order to locate his former girlfriend who had an administrative role at the airport. 

He had been issued a seasonal airport pass for his technician job, which allowed him to enter certain restricted areas for performing official duties.

Although he finished his official duties at about 8am, he waited for her to finish work at 5.30pm.  

He saw her at the public area of an underpass at Changi Airport Terminal 1 and followed her to the terminal’s main building in a bid to reconcile with her.

While they walked, he repeatedly asked to have a meal with her but she declined each time.

In the process, he touched her wrist multiple times without her consent despite her telling him to stop, the court heard. He then followed her when they entered the public arrival area, and waited for her when she went to the toilet.

After she emerged, he gripped her waist and the side of her body to make her sit down. She told him she wanted to go home and asked him to let her go, before managing to loosen his grip.

When she went to the lift, he slipped in with her, pulling down her face mask and headscarf from the back. He had kept attempting to talk to her but she refused.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir told the court: “The whole of her headscarf was pulled down but the victim managed to take it back from the accused. The victim then quickly exited the lift.”

The incident lasted from about 5.30pm to 6pm. A customer service officer with Changi Airport Group then called the police to report that the victim was crying and claiming she had been “hugged by another airport staff”.

After this, the couple reconciled and she began staying with him, making plans to get married in September this year.

By then, he had been charged in court and released on bail for the first incident.

On July 8, they quarrelled and he asked her to leave his home. When she went to his room to pack her belongings, he grabbed her hair and hit her forehead against a door, struck her on the nose, and dragged her against the floor after snatching her belongings away.

She tried to kick him and also tried to call the police but he took her phone away. She eventually managed to escape and sought medical treatment at Jurong Polyclinic.

Court documents did not state if they are still together.

For voluntarily causing hurt, the man could have been jailed for up to three years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.

For using criminal force, he could have been jailed for up to three months or fined up to S$1,500, or both.

Those convicted of entering a restricted area under the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017 can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$20,000, or both.