A prosecutor yesterday sought nine years' jail and caning for a man who admitted to sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a Taiwanese tourist. Ng Jun Xian, who turns 21 today, sobbed in court as Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhang Hongchuan gave details of his "serious and heinous" offences.

Ng was a full-time national serviceman when he met the 23-year-old woman at Club Sonar, in Orchard Hotel, in the early hours of Nov 8 last year.

Later, when she said she wanted to return to her hostel, Ng said he would take her to a hotel to rest.

When they got to Hotel 81 in Lavender Street, she asked Ng to leave but he tried to kiss her. After she bit his lip, he touched her buttocks, then pushed her onto the bed and molested her despite her struggles.

Ng's friend, who was waiting outside the hotel, heard her shouting, and knocked on the door of the room but Ng did not respond.

After he attempted to rape her, she managed to break free and ran to the door but Ng caught her and slapped her on the cheek, then pushed her back onto the bed.

After the woman threw a coffee cup at him, he stopped struggling with her and suddenly knelt down and apologised. She then put on her clothes and left.

She later lodged a police report.

The woman suffered bruises on her hands, face, arms and legs.

Ng also admitted to a charge of behaving in a riotous manner in a pub at Golden Mile Complex while he was out on bail.

After hearing lawyer A. Rajandran's mitigation and the prosecutor's submissions on sentencing, District Judge Mathew Joseph called for a pre-sentence report to consider Ng's suitability to undergo reformative training.

But he told a tearful Ng that it did not mean he would be automatically sent to the Reformative Training Centre. Mr Zhang objected to the request for a reformative training report. The case was adjourned to Sept 2.

Ng faces a jail term of up to 20 years, a fine or caning for sexual penetration. For attempted rape, the maximum penalty is 10 years, and a fine or caning.