Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years’ Jail for Trapping & Molesting Tourist in Golden Mile Complex Stairwell

There are only a few things in life that you can blame alcohol on.

These include:

1. Failing to open your main door with a key
2. Peeing a lot
3. Breaking that expensive phone that your girlfriend just bought you
4. Passing out

What you can’t blame alcohol on, however, is a molestation charge. 

But that’s exactly what a retail assistant at Golden Mile Complex did.

Man Trapped & Molested Tourist in Golden Mile Complex Stairwell

On 23 Nov 2019, the 27-year-old victim and her friends visited Golden Mile Complex for a meal after a late night out.

They left at 7.30am but the Thai tourist lost sight of her friends as she was talking to her mother on the phone.

Tan Ee Hong, who worked at a clothing store, saw the woman at this point and thought he would befriend her as she looked pretty.

So, the 25-year-old approached her and asked if she would like to see his shop upstairs.

The Thai woman, who only spoke simple English, thought by “shop” Tan meant karaoke lounge.

She went with him thinking her friends would be there, but when she saw the shop, she realised her mistake and walked away.

Angered, Tan followed her and blocked her from taking the lift down.

He then grabbed her and they struggled, but he managed to push her into a stairwell, where he trapped her and molested her.

She almost escaped at one point but Tan pulled her back, straddled her, and kissed her forehead.

She kept struggling and screaming for help and almost felt through the staircase railings to the floor below.

Fortunately, someone heard her cries for help.

Passing Married Couple Saves Victim

While Tan was assaulting the woman, a married couple passing by noticed the victim’s belongings scattered around the lift lobby.

Upon hearing the Thai woman’s shouts for help from the stairwell, the husband went in and found Tan straddling the victim.

The man tried to help the tourist but Tan held on to her, claiming he was trying to help her.

The husband was suspicious, however, and called the police.

Unbeknownst to Tan, his actions were captured on CCTV cameras.

Sentenced to 2.5 Years Jail, Blamed Assault on Alcohol

On Wednesday (28 Apr), Tan was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison and three strokes of the cane.

He previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated outrage of modesty. Two other charges, one for using criminal force on the victim, were also taken into consideration.

In his defence, Tan’s lawyer said that his client’s excessive alcohol drinking with his friends earlier that night had impaired his judgment.

The lawyer added that his client “truly wanted to assist the victim who had difficulty in her gait when he first saw her”.

Tan has since quit drinking, with his lawyer saying this was a “wake-up call”.

Featured Image: Google Maps