SINGAPORE: For nine days, a 27-year-old woman held her ex-girlfriend captive in her flat. The victim was assaulted, asked to mop up her own blood, made to do household chores and forced to strip for a nude photo.
On Monday (Jul 1), Noorfarahain Mohd Noorudin was sentenced to jail for three years and two months for her crimes, with an additional six weeks in lieu of caning.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe court heard that Noorfarahain met the 34-year-old victim while they were working at Dunkin' Donuts. They began dating in November 2016 and were in a relationship for a year.
On Feb 9 last year, a few months after the relationship had ended, the victim went to Noorfarahain's flat to look after the accused's five-year-old son.
When she got there, she was confronted by Noorfarahain and three men. They included Noorfarahain's 23-year-old cousin Muhammamad Indra Mohamed Yusli, who was dating Noorfarahain at the time.
According to court documents, the group of four asked the victim why she made Noorfarahain's life miserable, and they began arguing.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe dispute escalated into a fight, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Yen Seow. The victim was punched in the face repeatedly until she fell to the ground. She was kicked on the back and slapped her thrice on her cheek.
The group eventually stopped attacking the victim, who did not retaliate at all. Indra told the woman to wash her face and clean the blood from the floor, before Noorfarahain took all of the victim's belongings, including her wallet and phone.
She was told that she was not allowed to leave the flat, and to perform household chores. The gate and door of the flat were locked, and the only set of keys was held by Indra. Every night, the victim slept on the floor in the living room.
SHE MADE THE VICTIM STRIP, TOOK A PHOTO OF HER
Seven days after this, Noorafarahain threatened the victim in the toilet. She clenched her fist, saying she would beat the victim up unless she took off all her clothes and allowed Noorfarahain to take a photo of her naked body.
The victim obeyed and Noorfarahain told her: "I have your naked photo. This is your dignity. So remember before you want to do anything. If you try to run away, I will make the photo viral on the Internet."
The victim later withdrew S$100 and handed it to Noorfarahain based on this threat.
A day after this, Noorfarahain used the victim's phone to text the victim's mother, asking for S$3,000. The victim's mother said she did not have the money, but later transferred S$200 into her daughter's bank account.
Noorfarahain then ordered the victim to withdraw the S$200 from her account and hand it over. Fearful that Noorfarahain would circulate her nude photo online, the victim complied. Noorfarahain also cut the victim's NRIC in half that same day.
On Feb 18, Noorfarahain told the victim to go to her mother's flat on her own, and to wait for Noorfarahain at the void deck.
The victim did so without trying to escape as she was afraid that her nude photo would be published.
When she arrived at her destination, the victim called her mother with a public phone and asked her what she should do. Her mother told her to meet her at the National University Hospital (NUH), and the victim did as instructed. Court documents did not specify what happened at NUH.
BATTERED VICTIM SOUGHT HELP AT POLICE STATION
The victim went to Yishun North Neighbourhood Police Centre at about 12.45am on Feb 19, walking unsteadily, looking weak and with a swollen face.
She was attended to by a paramedic and taken to Khoo Teck Puat hospital, where she was diagnosed with assault with multiple bruises and blurring of vision in her left eye.
She suffered bruises and swelling over her face, forehead, lip; bruises over her chest, scalp and arms; and redness in her eye and right ear.
Noorfarahain was arrested on Feb 19 last year, and her urine samples were found to contain methamphetamine. She admitted that she had last smoked meth or Ice on Feb 18 with her boyfriend - her cousin Indra - at the flat.
Noorfarahain on Monday pleaded guilty to five charges including wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and drug consumption. Another eight charges were taken into consideration.
The prosecutor asked for a sentence of at least three years and three months' jail, along with an additional six weeks in lieu of caning as Noorfarahain is a woman and cannot be caned.
He said the victim had been "cruelly treated" and suffered both physical and mental abuse at the hands of Noorfarahain, sleeping on the floor and being made to perform household chores.
The threat of having her nude photo go viral "operated so strongly" on the victim's mind that she did not dare to escape until nine days later, said the prosecutor.
Defence lawyer James Ow Yong said his client was deeply remorseful and was pleading guilty at the earliest opporunity.
He said the incident stemmed from a financial dispute and Noorfarahain recognises that she went overboard in trying to get the money back.
He added that Noorfarahain, who is divorced, has a young son who just entered Primary 1 and a diabetic mother.
The prosecutor answered that "the motive for committing the offence is not a mitigating factor".
District Judge Salina Ishak ordered Noorfarahain to compensate the victims for the S$300 they had lost to her.
Indra has been charged over his involvement in the assault, while the cases for the other two men involved are pending.
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