Jail for man who broke into ex-girlfriend's room and threatened her with knife

He was unhappy that his ex-girlfriend was with someone else.

So he armed himself with a knife and broke into her room when she was asleep last month.

He pressed a piece of cloth over her mouth, but released his hold when she struggled.

Instead of panicking, the 21-year-old woman hugged her ex-boyfriend.

He then followed her to her workplace, where he was arrested after her employer called the police.

Yesterday, Lim Hui Yin, 25, a Malaysian who was then jobless, was sentenced to 15 months' jail for housebreaking, criminal intimidation and arming himself with a knife without lawful authority.

Court papers said that Lim and his ex-girlfriend, Ms Yap Jing Ting, 21, also a Malaysian, broke up in August last year.

In January this year, he spotted her with a new boyfriend and followed them in a taxi to a Geylang shophouse, where Ms Yap had rented a room on the second storey.

On Feb 20, he decided to confront Ms Yap about their relationship.

Armed with a piece of cloth, a cable tie and knife with a 7cm-long blade, Lim went to the shophouse at about noon.

He approached a tenant who was leaving, asked for the PIN code to the lock and gained entry into the premises.

He saw Ms Yap's slippers outside a room, but realised the door was locked. He managed to unlock it and slipped into the room where Ms Yap was alone and asleep.

He wet the piece of cloth and covered Ms Yap's mouth, causing her to wake up and struggle.

Ms Yap, however, calmed down after a while and indicated that she could not breathe, prompting Lim to release his hold.

She then switched the lights on, saw the knife and asked Lim why he had brought a weapon.

THREAT

He replied in Mandarin: "This knife is to kill you. I will stab your throat and then kill myself. I want to die with you."

This was when Ms Yap hugged him, changed the subject and spoke to him about their past relationship and other personal matters.

He then followed her to her workplace at Liang Seah Street.

Spotting him loitering at the back of the shop, Ms Yap's employer thought he looked suspicious, and decided to call the police.

Officers found the knife inside Lim's bag.

Yesterday, Lim, who was unrepresented, said in mitigation that he was desperate to save his failed relationship with Ms Yap.

District Judge Lee Poh Choo asked how he was going to save his relationship by showing up with a knife.

The judge also said a place of residence should be a safe place and that the offence was pre-meditated.

When The New Paper visited the Geylang shophouse yesterday, a male tenant said he did not know what happened as he was either asleep or out that day.

The landlord, who declined to be named, told TNP in Mandarin that Ms Yap moved out hours after the incident.

"She just told me she had settled differences with her boyfriend and was going back to Malaysia. And then she was gone," he said.

Ms Yap's mobile phone was switched off and she could not be reached for comment.

rloh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 17, 2016.
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