SINGAPORE — A foreman was sentenced to six months’ jail on Monday (Dec 16) for threatening a colleague that he would release a video showing the man having sex with his wife if he did not resign from his job.

Shi Jingbiao was jealous of the other man’s promotion in their company and was angry at his behaviour at work, a district court heard.

The 54-year-old Chinese national pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal intimidation by anonymous communication. His victim was a fellow Chinese national who worked as a worksite manager.

The court heard that Shi held onto the other man’s intimate photographs and videos with his wife for almost five years.

When the victim left his work-issued storage device in the office in November 2014, Shi inadvertently came across them when using the device with the victim’s consent. Shi secretly saved copies of them.

On July 2 this year, the victim received an envelope containing an unsigned letter, a CD-ROM containing a video of his wife performing oral sex on him, and a mini-SD card at his office.

The letter read: “Presenting a wonderful little movie for you. He will be playing the player on the internet in the near future. Please cheer together. If you choose to quit or resign, you will not be distributed. Looking forward to your actions.”

Shi provided a Chinese translation of this in the letter as well.

The victim then checked his email inbox and discovered at least five emails from an unknown sender, similarly threatening to release his sex videos. He did not look at the contents of the mini-SD card.

He lodged a police report at Potong Pasir Neighbourhood Police Post later that day.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao sought the sentence imposed, saying Shi had been “motivated by malice” and exhibited some premeditation. Nevertheless, he noted that the video was not circulated online.

In mitigation, Shi — who did not have a lawyer — told the court in Mandarin through an interpreter that he had committed “a very grave mistake” and pleaded for a second chance.

“I’m very remorseful; I should not have committed this act, especially when the victim is my fellow countryman. In fact, I’ve knelt down before him to seek his forgiveness… I’ve not been able to meet my family members for two years, I’ve been busy working,” he added.

For criminal intimidation, Shi could have been jailed up to two years, fined or both. As he committed the offence by anonymous communication, he could have been jailed a further two years.