Ex-inmate back in jail for assault, lying to police
A man who was just released from prison assaulted another man and lied to the police that he had retaliated because the victim had molested his girlfriend.
But the lie was exposed by footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the area where the incident occurred.
Tan Jek He, 23, was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail on March 11 after pleading guilty to assaulting the victim and conspiring to provide false information to the police.
Two other charges – one over theft and one over mischief – were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Tan will have to spend an additional 40 days behind bars as he was out on remission when he committed the two offences he pleaded guilty to. Tan reoffended less than two weeks after he was released.
The court heard that he was previously charged over voluntarily causing grievous hurt, as well as over offences involving drugs and possession of weapons.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Vincent Ong said the victim, a 35-year-old Bangladeshi man, was walking along Lavender Street on Aug 11 when he saw Tan and his girlfriend, Tan Qiu Yan, 24, walking towards him.
He moved to make way for them as they passed him, but Tan Jek He accused him of staring at Tan Qiu Yan and punched him on his left cheek, causing a laceration on his lower jaw.
The victim walked away and called his friends for help.
They later confronted Tan Jek He around Kitchener Complex, and detained him until the police arrived.
By this time, Tan Jek He had conspired with his girlfriend to accuse the victim of molesting her and claim he had punched the other man in retaliation.
DPP Ong said the couple had concocted the plan as they were worried that Tan Jek He, who had just been released from prison, would get into further trouble.
But they later came clean after CCTV footage of the incident was presented to them.
During sentencing, District Judge Lim Tse Haw noted one theft and one mischief charge were taken into consideration for Tan Jek He.
“This shows an utter lack of regard for the law on the part of the accused,” he said.
Tan Jek He’s defence counsel sought to defer his sentence as he is expecting his first child sometime in May.
He will begin serving his sentence on May 20.
Judge Lim said: “The only reason the court is deferring your sentence is for you to spend some time with your child, not for you to go and cause more trouble.”
On Jan 12, Tan Qiu Yan was sentenced to one week’s jail after pleading guilty to one charge of giving false information to a public servant.
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