Jail, caning for man who raped woman after he stalked her and offered her a lift home

SINGAPORE – A 42-year-old man who

stalked an intoxicated woman around Holland Village

for nearly an hour and raped her after offering to drive her home was sentenced on Nov 24 to 15 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

Dhanabalan Fok Jin Jin was also ordered to pay more than $18,500 in compensation to the victim for the bills she incurred for therapy and antidepressants over the past four years.

Fok’s lawyer had argued that his client, a technician with an average take-home pay of about $6,600 a month, was unable to pay the sum as he is married with a child and is looking after his parents.

This cut no ice with High Court Judge Valerie Thean, who noted that Fok drove a Mercedes C180 and had tenants in his flat, which suggested he had an additional stream of income.

If Fok does not pay the compensation sum, he will have to serve another four months’ jail.

Fok had

claimed trial to a rape charge in July

, contending that the victim had consensual sex with him.

He was convicted on Sept 22, after the judge found that the victim was unable to consent due to intoxication and did not consent to sex with him.

In sentencing Fok on Nov 24, Justice Thean noted that his offence was premeditated.

She noted that Fok, together with his friend Lee Kit, had followed the victim and her friend in anticipation of an opportunity to exploit her inability to resist.

Lee testified during the trial that after the victim’s friend fell off a bench at a bus stop, Fok told him: “Let’s go. Can go approach them already.”

Fok’s version of events was that he approached the victim because a passer-by had called for help, though he was unable to identify the moment that he was called over when shown surveillance footage.

Justice Thean also considered that severe harm was caused to the victim, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and mixed depressive and anxiety disorder.

The victim moved to a different apartment within the same condominium complex after the rape, the judge noted. 

Fok’s lawyer, Mr Ramesh Tiwary, told the court that his client would be filing an appeal.

On the night of Jan 30, 2021, the victim celebrated her birthday with six friends at a restaurant in Dempsey Hill before they went to a bar at Holland Village, where she had at least three glasses of margaritas and two shots of tequila.

When the bar closed, the group planned to continue the party at one of their homes.

The victim and one of the friends were unsuccessful at booking a ride.

The two women ended up at a bus stop adjacent to the Holland Village MRT station. A taxi stopped but the driver would not take them because they were drunk.

After the friend fell off the bench, the two men went over and offered to drive them home, which the victim accepted.

During the drive, the two women threw up, and Fok took a photo of them passed out in the backseat.

It was not disputed that while they were in the victim’s apartment, Fok had sex with her while Lee carried out a sex act on her.

The victim’s friend, who was lying on the same bed, was not sexually assaulted.

After the two men left the victim’s home in Fok’s car, they discussed whether they might get into trouble with the police.

Fok then realised he had left his mobile phone at the woman’s home.

The duo returned to the condo and tried to persuade the victim to hand over the phone. She called the police, and the two men were arrested.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ivan Chua sought a sentence of 17 to 18 years’ jail and 18 strokes, arguing that the victim’s life has been shattered.

He said Fok exploited the victim’s vulnerability in pursuit of his own sexual fantasy, and instigated Lee to do the same.

Mr Tiwary sought 12 to 14 years and 12 strokes of the cane.

Lee was sentenced in March 2024 to 20 months’ jail and four strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to molesting the victim.