A man in Singapore decided to hide in a women's toilet on a building floor where he knew women would be visiting a dating agency.
Before he could take any voyeuristic photos, however, he was caught by a woman.
The woman and her friend confronted him but he ran away to his car.
The friend stood in front of the car to prevent him from leaving but the man pushed her out of the way with his car, broke through the car park gantry and fled.
Lim Pang Boon Adrian Michael, 48, was later arrested and pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal trespass to commit voyeurism, attempted voyeurism and a rash act endangering personal safety, reported CNA.
A fourth charge was taken into consideration as well.
He was sentenced to a jail term of one month and three weeks in August.
There is a gag order to protect the identity of the victim.
What happened
According to a judgment made available on Sep. 12, Lim, then a private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver, went into a women's toilet of an office building on the night of Jun. 9, 2021.
Lim chose this restroom because he knew women would be visiting a dating agency on that floor.
He positioned himself in the central cubicle, waiting for someone to enter one of the adjacent cubicles.
At approximately 7:45pm, the victim, a 32-year-old woman, entered a cubicle next to Lim’s.
Lim then peeked over the top of the partition separating the cubicles and saw the woman.
He placed his phone over the partition with the camera facing downwards, intending to take photos of her.
However, the victim noticed Lim’s phone before he could take any pictures and immediately left the restroom.
The distressed woman then returned to her office to seek help.
Confrontation
The victim returned with a 38-year-old woman, but they found no one in the women’s restroom.
They then saw Lim coming out of the men's restroom after washing his hands and confronted him.
They demanded to see the photo gallery on his phone but he refused and fled down the stairs, with the women in pursuit.
The victim alerted the building’s security officer, while Lim escaped through the rear exit.
Upon reaching the basement car park, Lim entered his white Mercedes-Benz and attempted to drive away.
To prevent his escape, the second woman stood in front of the car.
However, Lim drove towards her, hitting her right leg and pushing her along the front of the vehicle before striking her left leg.
The woman also tried to open the driver's door, but Lim continued to drive forward, reaching out to close the door.
He then crashed through the parking barrier, breaking it as he sped away.
A security guard was also nearly hit but was able to jump away in time.
The woman who was struck by the car later sought medical treatment for bruises on her thighs and knuckles, as well as a sprained neck.
Lim was eventually arrested.
Sentence just and appropriate: Judge
The defence had sought three weeks' jail, reasoning that Lim was a first-time offender who suffered from voyeuristic disorder.
Additionally, Lim gave compensation of S$2,500 each to the victim and the second woman and paid for the woman's medical fees.
He also gave the security guard and building management S$1,000 each.
However, the judge noted that an Institute of Mental Health (IMH) report showed no contributory link between Lim's voyeuristic disorder and the offences.
The report also said Lim's ability to appreciate the nature of his offences was not impaired.
The judge said Lim had used his car as "a weapon to intimidate the woman into moving out of the way".
"The sentence imposed is just and appropriate to send a clear message to other like-minded persons that such conduct is completely unacceptable," he said.
Lim has since appealed against the sentence.
Top photo from Canva