Benjamin Tan Jook Min had just finished supper at Havelock Road and seeing a woman cross the road at a traffic junction, developed an urge to touch her buttocks.
So, the 38-year-old crossed the road too and tailed the woman, who was on her way home from work.
He then hid behind an advertisement board at a bus stop, and when the woman stopped to look for her handphone, he struck.
Tan slipped on a pair of work gloves which he was carrying in his backpack, charged at the woman from behind and covered her mouth with his hand.
He then molested the struggling woman and pulled her to the ground.
Fortunately, the victim managed to grab hold of her bag and hit Tan’s face with it.
That’s when he released his grip on her, and she ran off to a nearby kopitiam at Chin Swee Rd.
Then, she called the police and went to Singapore General Hospital to receive treatment for bruises on her forehead, left shoulder and right thigh.
The incident took place at around 2.30am in August last year.
Tan was arrested at his flat 2 days after the attack.
She alerted the police at around 3.05am and went to the Singapore General Hospital to seek treatment for the bruises on her forehead, left shoulder and right thigh.
Tan, who also lives at Chin Swee Road, tried to avoid being captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras by taking a longer route home.
But investigating police officers viewed CCTV footage from cameras in the neighbourhood and saw him lurking around the area, shortly before he pounced on his victim.
Officers arrested Tan at his flat two days later.
For molest, he could have been jailed up to 10 years and caned.
He has been jailed for 2 years and 3 months, and will receive 4 strokes of the cane for molest.
