Jail, caning for homeless man who sexually assaulted drunk woman
A woman and her boyfriend had passed out drunk at a bus stop when a homeless man molested and sexually assaulted her.
Yesterday, Thiruchelvam Maniam, 40, was sentenced to 6½ years in jail and three strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one charge of sexually assaulting the woman.
Another charge of outraging the modesty of the woman was taken into consideration.
Thiruchelvam was homeless and lived in a stairwell.
On April 19 last year, the victim, who was then 30, had gone to a pub with her boyfriend.
They left around 1am the next day and fell asleep on a bench at a nearby bus stop.
Thiruchelvam paced around the bus stop for about half an hour while avoiding being seen by passers-by.
After ensuring no one was around, he picked the victim up and moved her to another bench at the same bus stop, away from her boyfriend.
He then exposed himself and sexually assaulted and molested her.
The victim woke up as he assaulted her.
Thiruchelvam fled to the back of a nearby building and flipped his shirt inside out to avoid being identified.
He then returned to the stairwell he was living in.
The victim broke down and later told her boyfriend what had happened.
She called the police and described the incident, adding she was sure the perpetrator was not her boyfriend.
Thiruchelvam was traced and arrested the same day.
For sexually assaulting the woman, he could have been jailed for up to 20 years, and fined or caned.
For outraging her modesty, he could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined, or caned, or given any combination of the three. - DAVID SUN
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