Rapist back in court for having sex with another girl, 14

SINGAPORE - A man serving time for raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl in 2010 was hauled back to court on Friday to face more charges.

Lorry driver Hang Tuah Jumaat, 43, received a further jail term of four years and 11 months for the sexual penetration of another girl, 14, as well as for four counts of driving without a valid licence and one of possessing 19 obscene films.

Hang Tuah had had unprotected sex with the 14-year-old in October 2009 on a HDB staircase landing in Boon Lay.

He had carried her up to the landing by force and threatened to report her to the police for sniffing glue if she did not have sex with him.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Janet George called for the jail term to run after Hang Tuah's existing sentence of 12 years and 12 strokes of the cane.

She argued that the accused was "clearly unremorseful", as he had put the victim through the ordeal of testifying at the trial in April, almost six years after the offence occurred.

She pointed out that he also denied at all times that he had had sex with the girl, despite clear DNA evidence to the contrary.

The judge, however, ordered the new sentence to run concurrently with Hang Tuah's existing jail term. This means that he will not serve any additional time beyond what he received at a 2012 High Court trial.

Then, he had been convicted of raping a 13-year-old in the back of his lorry near Kranji camp, after plying her with vodka.

He also ordered her ex-boyfriend, who was then 17, to rape her as well. After the deed, he gave the girl $5 and told her to sleep in the lorry.

Eight of the 18 charges Hang Tuah faced this time were withdrawn. These included a charge of raping yet another 14-year-old girl in a Woodlands carpark and five other counts of bedding a third girl of the same age, all in 2009.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of driving various vehicles without a valid licence, five of which were proceeded on. For this, he received two months in jail and a driving disqualification of three years.

For the sexual penetration of a minor, Hang Tuah could have been jailed for up to 20 years and also been liable to a fine or caning.

For driving without a licence, he could have been fined up to $1,000 or jailed up to three months.

For possessing the obscene films, he could have been fined up to $1,000 for each film or jailed up to 12 months, or both.

oliviaho@sph.com.sg

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