SINGAPORE: A homeless man was sentenced to 15 months’ jail on Tuesday (Apr 10) for committing a host of offences, including sexually assaulting a shopkeeper at Tanjong Pagar Plaza and for masturbating in public in the Tanjong Pagar area.
Muhammad Nurizam, 29, was also convicted of two counts of theft.
District Judge Mathew Joseph called Nurizam a “colourful character” but expressed sympathy for the man, who has a history of depression and exhibitionist disorder. The judge urged social welfare authorities to look into Nurizam’s case.
According to defence lawyer Melvin Loh, Nurizam had a difficult childhood. He was abandoned by his mother at a young age and grew up being “passed around”, first among relatives and then at homes and shelters.
He then became homeless, and spent about 10 years living at void decks, Mr Loh, who took on the case pro bono, told the court. A medical report also revealed Nurizam’s IQ is lower than average.
On Aug 27, 2017, Nurizam grabbed the breast of a 48-year-old shopkeeper at Tanjong Pagar Plaza. She had spotted him standing silently at the entrance of her shop, smiling at her.
AdvertisementAdvertisementShe told Nurizam her shop only catered to women and told him to leave. He ignored her, Deputy Public Prosecutor Marshall Lim said. Nurizam then sexually assaulted the woman.
Nurizam also admitted he had stolen from at least two restaurants in the area in broad daylight. On Jun 11, he entered a Korean restaurant via the back entrance and rummaged through employees’ belongings on a shelf in the kitchen. He was spotted by the restaurant’s staff, who were on their lunch break, and apprehended.
He stole again on Jul 1, when he entered a pub via the back door to rummage through lockers where staff kept their valuables. He was caught red handed by an employee. Mr Loh, the defence lawyer, said Nurizam was reduced to stealing “to get by”.
Nurizam was also reported to the police for exposing himself in public. He was spotted in the vicinity of Tanjong Pagar Plaza multiple times, apparently masturbating in public.
This was his “way of venting frustration”, Mr Loh said, although he conceded his client had “made very unwise decisions”.
In sentencing Nurizam, Judge Mathew encouraged him to seek help to “get (his) life back on the right track”. “Nobody in Singapore should be living at the void deck”, the judge said, noting that the authorities should look into helping Nurizam, who has no family, upon his release from prison.
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