SINGAPORE - An odd-job worker followed a girl into an HDB lift and molested her from behind when she exited. They fell to the ground and in the struggle that followed, she squeezed his genitals to make him release his grip on her.

Kum Keng Fa, 31, was arrested after he fled the scene but left his phone behind.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 27 months in jail and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane for outraging the girl's modesty on Nov 3.

The court heard that he had been drinking at a coffeeshop nearby that night. Just after midnight, he spotted the 21-year-old walking along the road and followed her to her block in Sims Avenue.

Inside the lift, he struck up a conversation and claimed to live in the same block. He introduced himself as "Ken".

He grabbed her breasts. Both the worker and the victim fell down.

During the struggle, Kum pinned the woman down and lifted her clothes, putting his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming.

When she squeezed his genitals, he screamed in pain and let go of her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Lua said Kum had launched a daring, brazen and prolonged sexual attack on his victim. And he could possibly have gotten away with it, if he had not left his phone behind.

Kum pleaded guilty to wrongfully restraining the girl to outrage her modesty. He could have been jailed for between up to 10 years and caned.