SINGAPORE — When she returned Yan Kok Fatt his lighter after a smoke break, the 21-year-old woman did not anticipate him hugging her and kissing her face.

Yan then went further by touching his victim’s breasts over her top several times, and rubbing her neck and stomach. 

He even told her: “Good, good” after touching one of her nipples.

The 75-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to eight months’ jail on Tuesday (Oct 29) after pleading guilty to one charge of molestation. The victim cannot be named due to a court gag order to protect her identity.

The court heard that on June 4, Yan was working as a cleaner at Midpoint Orchard, a shopping mall along Orchard Road.

The victim — who also worked at the mall — had gone to the loading bay that day to smoke, but had to borrow Yan’s lighter after forgetting hers.

At about 12.30pm, she returned it to him outside the lift lobby on the second level. After taking back the lighter, he shook her hand, said “Selamat Hari Raya” to her and tapped her back a few times.

Thinking it was a friendly gesture, she told him “thank you”. 

But Yan then hugged her again and placed his face near hers as if he was trying to sniff her hair or kiss her, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Michelle Lu told the court.

She told him to stop and walked off to wait for the lift. However, Yan followed her, hugged her and kissed her face, then touched one of her breasts over her clothes.

She politely pushed his hand away but he used his other hand to touch her other breast, persisting even when she tried to pat his arm to get him to stop.

When she forcibly moved his hands from her breasts, he still tried to touch them before rubbing her stomach for a few seconds. She gestured for him to leave and pressed the lift button again.

After Yan took a few steps away from the lift lobby, he turned back again, touched her chin and rubbed her neck from the back. 

He also hugged her once more and rubbed her stomach a few times. She pushed his hand away and told him: “Uncle, cannot.”

She finally made her escape when the lift doors opened and she made her way into the lift, while Yan walked away. After returning to her workplace, she told her employer what had happened.

Closed-circuit television footage captured part of the molestation. The management of Midpoint then lodged a police report against Yan.

DPP Lu sought the sentence imposed and did not ask for additional jail time in lieu of caning. While offenders can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or any combination of the three, those above 50 years old cannot be caned by law.

In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham noted that Yan’s acts were “persistent despite the victim’s resistance and communication of feelings that these (acts) were not welcome”.