Rapist convicted of more offences

A lorry driver serving time for raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl in 2010 was hauled back to court yesterday to be convicted of more charges - this time involving another girl.

But despite receiving a new jail term of four years and 11 months for the sexual penetration of a 14-year-old and other offences, Hang Tuah Jumaat, 43, will not serve extra time, as the new sentence will run concurrently with his existing jail term.

In 2012, Hang Tuah was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in the back of his lorry at a road near Kranji Camp in April 2010, after he plied her with vodka. He also ordered her ex-boyfriend, who was then 17, to rape her. He then gave the girl $5 and told her to sleep in the lorry.

He was sentenced to 12 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for those offences.

Yesterday, Hang Tuah was found guilty of having unprotected sex with a 14-year-old at an HDB staircase landing in Boon Lay in October 2009.

He carried her up to the landing by force and threatened to report her to the police for sniffing glue if she did not have sex with him.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing 19 obscene films and eight counts of driving various vehicles without a valid licence, for which he was banned from driving for three years.

Eight of the 18 charges against Hang Tuah this time were withdrawn. These included a charge of raping yet another 14-year-old girl in a Woodlands carpark, and five other counts of having sex with another girl of the same age, all in 2009.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Janet George asked for the new jail term to run after Hang Tuah's current sentence is served. She said he was "clearly unremorseful" as he had put the victim through the ordeal of testifying at the trial last month - almost six years after the offence took place.

Ms George added that he had also denied having sex with the girl, despite clear DNA evidence.

District Judge John Ng, however, ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

For the sexual penetration of a minor, Hang Tuah could have been jailed for up to 20 years and alsogiven a fine or caning. For driving without a licence, he could have been fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. For possessing obscene films, he could have been fined up to $1,000 for each film, jailed up to 12 months, or both.

oliviaho@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 30, 2015.
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