9 years' preventive detention for offences at a home

A 46-year-old man was slapped with nine years' preventive detention yesterday for committing a string of offences at a welfare home.

Besides attacking an auxiliary police officer and the home's care executive, Hoe Chay Eng also sodomised a fellow resident.

He was previously sentenced to corrective training twice for theft and has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and mild intellectual disability.

On Oct 27 last year, auxiliary police officer Davindran Mohan, 23, of security firm Aetos, was doing his rounds when he told Hoe, who was at the dormitory, to go to the dining hall where daily activities were being held.

Hoe suddenly stood up and shouted at the officer, challenging him to a fight. He also tried to punch him. Then he grabbed a metal mug and hit the officer twice on the head.

On hearing the commotion, Mr Davindran's partner rushed in and restrained Hoe, who started kicking Mr Davindran.

Both officers managed to restrain Hoe, who was placed in the segregation dormitory.

On Dec 12, Hoe asked a 29-year-old mildly retarded resident to follow him to the corner of the balcony where he sodomised him.

The victim had complied as he was scared of Hoe, who was bigger in size than him.

Hoe admitted that he had committed a similar act with the victim and it felt good. That made him decide to do it again.

While Hoe was in the segregation dormitory on Dec 27, he dismantled the bed frames in his cell as he felt stressed and lonely after being separated from other residents.

The home's 57-year-old care executive noted from the CCTV that Hoe was naked.

He and an auxiliary police officer from Aetos then entered Hoe's cell to tell him to put on his shorts and clean up the mess he had made.

Hoe became aggressive and swung one of the dismantled bed frames at the executive who dodged the attack.

elena@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 29, 2015.
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