Unemployed man jailed for molesting his female Uber driver seven times

SINGAPORE — First he offered to buy durians for his female Uber driver, then he asked her to go to a hotel with him, and that he would pay her, but she rejected his advances on both occasions.

Then, over a span of about 15 minutes, Png Kok Tai, 49, molested the driver seven times as she was ferrying him along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) to Jurong West.

The 41-year-old woman, who cannot be named due a court order, was “shocked” and “outraged” by Png’s unwanted advances, but she had to continue driving her vehicle while struggling to defend herself, said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Marshall Lim.

On Monday (Nov 5), Png, who is unemployed and an amputee, was jailed for five years,10 months and three weeks, and sentenced to four strokes of the cane after he admitted to a slew of offences. These included theft, consumption of methamphetamine, and using abusive language against public servants.

Four other counts of similar offences were taken into consideration during sentencing.

When sentencing Png, District Judge Marvin Bay said the female Uber driver was placed “in a vulnerable position”.

“She had to drive on the PIE, while (Png) pursued his own sexual gratification,” said the judge.

He noted that while cases involving private hire car drivers molesting their passengers are “widely reported”, Png’s “continued molestation while she was on the job” presented a “hazardous twist” to these “ugly situations”.

The court heard that on Dec 16 last year, the female driver had picked Png up from Jurong West, and was directed to go to Mei Ling Street.

Upon arrival, Png asked her to wait for him, before requesting to be ferried back to Jurong West.

While they were on the PIE, he began to molest her.

Upon his arrival at Jurong West, the victim lodged a police report.

The court also heard that Png molested an 18-year-old girl on July 5. DPP Lim said the teen was walking from her home at Mei Ling Street to fetch her younger sister from school, and she was focused on listening to music on her phone.

Then, as she was turning into a back alley at her block, she felt someone touching her private parts. Looking up, she saw Png pulling his hand way.

She fled to the school, picked her sister up, and then reported the incident to her mother, who was at work. They subsequently lodged a police report.

PUNCHED MAN, HURLED VULGARITIES AT POLICE

On Monday, the court also heard that Png had other brushes with the law. On the morning of April 11, Mr Muhammad Jamil Abdul, 41, was leaving his residence at Bukit Merah View when Png confronted him, yelled at him in Chinese, and pointed his walking stick at the younger man.

Court documents did not indicate if both men knew each other.

Then, Png began to rain punches on Mr Jamil, who tried to move away.

“In the midst of the scuffle, both parties fell to the ground and rolled down a slight slope,” DPP Lim said.

Despite this, Png pinned Mr Jamil to the ground and continued to punch him in the face.

Mr Jamil suffered bruises and abrasions from the incident, and was discharged from hospital with painkillers.  

While Mr Jamil was conveyed to hospital, two police officers tried to interview Png, but he was uncooperative and shouted at them. Png then smoked a cigarette in front of them.

Asked by the officers to stop, an agitated Png yelled at them, saying “I pay GST (Goods and Service Tax)”, and taunted them to arrest him. He also hurled vulgarities at them before he was placed under arrest.

STOLE FROM FATHER’S MAID, CONSUMED METH

Court documents also revealed that on March 16, Png asked his father, and the elder Png’s 41-year-old domestic helper for money.

When both parties declined, Png flew into a rage and began ransacking the room.

After his search for money proved futile, he dislodged a drawer, flung it to the ground and smashed it. He then took the domestic helper’s wallet from her bag and stole S$1,200.

Png also admitted to consuming methamphetamine — a controlled drug — before he reported for a urine test at the Jurong Police Division on March 6, said DPP Lim, who urged the court to impose a jail sentence of at least five years and 11 months, along with four strokes of the cane.

Defence lawyer Gregory Fong urged the court to impose a jail sentence of between five-and-a-half years and six years, with no caning. He said that “something might have triggered” his client off, as his offences had “escalated” from past drug offences to molest.

Mr Fong said that Png’s handicap and financial situation could have “made him a very miserable person”.

In his sentencing remarks, Mr Bay told Png: “You cannot run afoul of the law just because you are frustrated.”

Png’s jail sentence will be backdated to July 6, when he was first remanded. He may or may not be caned as a medical report is pending.