Thirupathi Mohandas was sentenced to 13 months’ jail after pleading guilty to two charges of voyeurism and one count of outrage of modesty. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: A construction worker found a woman attractive after seeing her in her condominium unit through a window and broke into the apartment to molest her while she was asleep.
The woman discovered his act, but he escaped, only to break into the apartment again just two days later – this time looking at her while he committed a sex act.
On Oct 8, Indian national Thirupathi Mohandas, 41, was sentenced to 13 months’ jail after pleading guilty to two charges of voyeurism and one count of outrage of modesty.
Four other charges, including two counts of housebreaking, were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
On April 29, at about 10.30pm, Mohandas walked past the unit and saw the victim, who was naked, through a window.
He found the 35-year-old American woman attractive and resolved to see her the following day. The location of the condo was redacted from court documents.
The next day, at about 11.30pm, Mohandas parked his lorry along a nearby road and walked to the unit and saw the woman.
After loitering outside for about an hour, he climbed over a ledge onto the balcony, where he stood to watch her sleep for about half an hour.
He then went into the victim’s bedroom and touched her toes twice. The victim kicked her blanket at him, sat up, and saw him crouched at the foot of her bed.
When the woman exclaimed in shock, Mohandas ran out of the bedroom, climbed down the ledge and fled the scene.
“As a result of the accused’s actions, the victim felt scared and disgusted,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ernest Chua, adding that the victim sought help from her condominium’s security guard, who called the police.
On May 3, at about 1.30am, Mohandas broke into the woman’s apartment a second time.
For the next three hours, he stood on the balcony while looking at the woman, who was awake, through her bedroom window. He also did a sex act during this time.
Hearing a sound from the balcony, the woman looked out and saw the silhouette of Mohandas standing there.
She then alerted the condo security guards.
Before midnight on May 4, Mohandas was arrested by police officers who saw him loitering in the area outside the condominium unit. He admitted that he had intended to see the woman again.
DPP Chua asked for Mohandas to be jailed for between 12 and 18 months, noting the high degree of premeditation and serious violation of privacy in this case.
Mohandas’ lawyer, Ang Boon Yaw of Yeo Marini Law Corporation, said: “(My client) is deeply ashamed of his behaviour and has cooperated fully with the authorities throughout the investigation period.”
District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said during sentencing that Mohandas had conducted a sustained campaign of harassment over three days, and his actions reflected a “recalcitrant brazenness and audaciousness”. - The Straits Times/ANN
