SINGAPORE - Suspecting that a man had taken an upskirt video of her in a lift, a woman reported him to the police even though she did not find any such video of herself in his mobile phone, a court heard.

But police found two upskirt videos of unknown women in Ling Lian Yew's iPhone on Dec 25, 2015. These were taken on Oct 2 and Nov 3 in the same year.

On Thursday (June 22), Ling, 49, unemployed, was jailed for four weeks after admitting to two charges of intruding into the privacy of two women.

Investigation showed that on Dec 25, 2015, at about 12am, the informant, a 23-year-old woman, entered the lift at the ground floor of an HDB block in Bedok Reservoir Road to go home.

The lift stopped on the fifth floor where Ling entered and stood behind her.

The informant then heard a sound of a video being recorded from a mobile phone camera.

She turned around and saw Ling with his iPhone. She asked what he was doing and he replied that his phone was spoilt.

She and her mother subsequently went to look for Ling at the same block, but was told he was not at home. The informant told his parents what happened earlier in the lift.

When Ling returned home, the informant took his iPhone to check but could not find any upskirt videos of herself.

She then brought his phone to lodge a report at the Bedok North Neighbourhood Police Centre.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Star Chen Xinhui sought a four-week sentence per charge, saying general deterrence is the predominant sentencing position for such offences involving upskirt videos.

Ling's pro bono lawyer, Mr Melvin Loh, said Ling has been receiving treatment at the Institute of Mental Health over the last 10 years for schizophrenia, and was remorseful for what he had done.

Ling could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined for each charge of insulting modesty.