Woman who stalked ex-girlfriend and breached protection orders fined $5,000

SINGAPORE - Unable to accept their relationship was over, a woman relentlessly stalked her former girlfriend over two months and breached two protection orders.

The 31-year-old offender pleaded guilty to a harassment charge and was fined $5,000 on Wednesday.

The victim, 25, and her former girlfriend are not named due to a gag order.

In April 2021, the offender got into a romantic relationship with the victim, who broke up with her five months later.

The offender could not accept this and wanted to continue their relationship.

However, the victim told her former girlfriend she no longer wanted to stay in touch and stopped responding to the latter’s attempts to contact her. The victim also blocked her on Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Koh said that after the break-up, the offender called and sent numerous messages and e-mails to the victim almost every day.

Even after being blocked from the victim’s social media and messaging platforms, the offender created new accounts and different e-mail addresses to contact her.

She also called the victim multiple times a day, which made it hard for the younger woman to use her phone.

On Sept 14, 2021, at around 11.30pm, the victim was on her way home when she saw the offender waiting for her at the void deck of her flat.

The victim tried to avoid the offender, who insisted on talking to her.

When the victim wanted to go home, the woman physically restrained her and pulled her away from the lift lobby.

The victim wanted to call the police but the older woman kept trying to snatch her phone away.

The victim eventually managed to contact a friend to call the police for her.

Officers soon arrived and advised the offender to leave, but the victim later spotted her outside her flat.

The victim immediately went downstairs to seek help from the officers who escorted her home.

Undeterred, the offender went to the victim’s block again on Oct 4, 2021, and saw the victim at around 8.45pm.

The victim tried to avoid the woman, who followed her into a lift and turned violent.

She grabbed the victim by the shoulders and shouted at her, demanding they resumed their relationship.

After exiting the lift, the offender continued following the victim and grabbed her from the front, saying she wanted to hug her for five minutes and refused to let go.

The victim called the police but the woman snatched her mobile phone away and disconnected the call.

The woman also accessed the victim’s Facebook account through the device and unblocked her own profile on it.

DPP Koh said: “Later that night, the accused sent the victim numerous text messages about getting back together with her and suggesting that she (the accused) might end her life or self-harm.”

DPP Koh said this alarmed the victim who went to the neighbourhood police centre to lodge a police report. A police officer contacted the accused and advised her not to harm herself.

Three days later, the victim was about to leave home for work when she spotted the woman nearby.

Feeling too scared to leave, the victim remained indoors.

She then applied for an expedited protection order, prohibiting the offender from making any threatening, abusive or insulting telephone calls or text messages to her.

DPP Koh said that despite this, the offender continued contacting the victim.

On Nov 9, 2021, she called the victim at least 56 times using a private number. From then until Nov 16, she also sent at least 34 e-mails to her.

The victim then obtained a personal protection order on Jan 4, 2022, prohibiting the offender from sending any types of communication to her, including e-mails.

But on April 20, 2022, the woman e-mailed the victim asking for the return of certain items which were not disclosed in court documents.

The victim then alerted the police.

For harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.