SINGAPORE — The condominium security guard called in sick, then hours later put on his work uniform and appeared at the condo.

But he was not planning to report to work.

Jeffry Ali broke into a ground-floor apartment, threatened a maid with a pair of scissors, and kissed her all over her face. He also cut her T-shirt, removed it and sat on top of her after pulling down her shorts and underwear.

Sometime later, he stole a pair of Bermuda shorts and some cash from another apartment.

On Thursday (July 11), the 33-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months’ jail and three strokes of the cane for his offences, which he committed on Nov 4 last year.

He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated outrage of modesty, one count of housebreaking to commit theft, and one count of consuming a specified drug.

Four other charges, including causing hurt to his victim, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

WANTED TO MARRY HER

Investigations revealed that Jeffry had called in sick to work on the evening of Nov 3, but got into the condominium by wearing his security uniform. He had smoked methamphetamine about three hours before that.

The court heard that Jeffry smoked methamphetamine about two to three times a week to keep himself alert during his night shifts. He had been taking the drug for eight years.

At about 5.20am that morning, he entered the condominium premises in Choa Chu Kang and broke into the house through an open window. The name of the development was redacted from court documents.

Arming himself with a pair of scissors from the kitchen, he entered the bedroom where the 34-year-old maid was sleeping with her employer’s two young children. She cannot be named to protect her identity.

The victim woke up when Jeffry pulled her legs and told her to keep quiet. She did not struggle out of fear for their safety.

He began kissing her all over her face and told her he wanted to marry her, before standing and lifting her legs up.

At that point, the children’s grandmother came in and shouted to alert her daughter and son-in-law. When the couple went to the bedroom, Jeffry threatened them with the scissors and allowed them to take the children, who had woken up and began crying, from the room.

However, he continued holding the maid down on the mattress. He told the couple to leave and close the door.

When they said they would call the police and went to get help from their neighbours, he tried to escape through the window but failed to, leaving through the main door instead.

The couple called the police to report an intruder, adding that he was not wearing a shirt.

BROKE INTO ANOTHER UNIT

Later that day, at about 9.30am, another resident received a text message from her sister-in-law, who also lived in the apartment.

The sister-in-law had spotted an unknown man going into their master bedroom and using the bathroom, but she believed he was a guest and did not raise an alarm.

Unbeknownst to her, Jeffry had broken into the house by climbing over a ledge into the kitchen.

Two hours later, the resident returned home from a camping trip with her husband and family. They heard sounds from the television set in their bedroom, before someone jumped out from the window.

Jeffry was subsequently arrested at 12pm at the basement car park, wearing a pair of red Bermuda shorts. He admitted to stealing it, as well as S$212 and RM643 (S$212) in cash, from the residents.

It was not stated how long Jeffry stayed in the apartment.

Police officers found his private security identification card, a debit card and drug utensils in the bedroom where he had molested the maid in the first apartment.