Man jailed again for continuously stalking ex-boyfriend
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SINGAPORE — On the day he was released from jail for stalking his ex-boyfriend, a 27-year-old man was back at it again.
On three occasions from October to December last year, Tan Boon Wah loitered around the younger man’s house, pressing the doorbell in multiple attempts at making contact with the latter. Tan did all this while he was on a remission of a six-month jail sentence for a previous stalking conviction.
Tan was sentenced on Wednesday (May 17) to nine months’ jail for stalking.
He was given another 60 days in jail for committing these offences while in remission.
Tan and the 22-year-old victim — who cannot be named due to a court order — were partners for four years, until their relationship ended in May 2015 after a series of disagreements.
In sentencing Tan, District Judge Kenneth Yap urged the bespectacled and lanky man to seek help, noting that “whatever sentence (given) is not going to deter him”.
“Relationships start, and relationships end. If you don’t face the truth of it, you will … cause greater damage to yourself,” said the judge who got Tan to agree to go for counselling.
The court heard that on Oct 1 last year — the day he was released from jail on remission — Tan had gone to the victim’s residence, and loitered around the vicinity. He then started to ring the doorbell, but the victim ignored him and called the police.
The police advised Tan to leave. But barely two hours later, the victim’s parents spotted Tan loitering in the area again.
On Nov 27, the victim noticed Tan near the 10th floor staircase landing of his block. Tan then approached the victim, but the latter darted into his flat. Tan then rang the victim’s doorbell, before the latter called the police. Tan had already fled when the police arrived.
On Dec 8, the victim’s mother spotted Tan loitering around the vicinity of their house. The police were called again, and Tan was arrested within an hour.
The court also heard that before the police arrived, the victim had to leave the house to attend to some personal matters. Tan then trailed him, despite repeated requests by the victim not to follow him.
Tan asked the victim to unblock him on various social media platforms and communication facilities.
Tan was previously thrown behind bars for stalking the same ex-boyfriend. He would wait for the victim at his house early in the morning, and late at night, following him to places he frequented and called him daily. Once, Tan made 1,408 calls to his victim in a single day.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jason Chua, who had asked for a custodial sentence of at least nine months, said Tan was a “recalcitrant offender”.
“The accused promptly re-offended by visiting the victim’s home on the day he was released”, said DPP Chua. In doing so, Tan made good a threat in 2015 he had sent to the victim via email and text message that said: “I won’t give up trying to find u ... not even if I get thrown in jail ... And if I go jail (sic) for 1 yr, when I come out, I’ll find u.”
District Judge Yap, who agreed with the prosecution that Tan was likely to re-offend, said a stiff sentence was warranted because of “extremely aggravating factors”.
Tan, who was represented by lawyer Low Hui Hui, told the judge that his client was remorseful. He said that he had committed the stalking offences as he was “overwhelmed by my own emotions”. Tan is now out on a S$20,000 bail, on the condition that he will not contact the victim in any form, or post anything about the victim publicly.
He will surrender to the court on May 24 to start his jail term.
