Jailed for posing as cop to cheat hooker
Uber driver jailed for lying to prostitute he was a cop
When he hired the prostitute, he was not interested in sex, only in her money.
Sherman Lim Chiang Khai (right), 28, lied that he was a police officer who was cash-strapped and demanded $6,000 from her.
She turned him down, then later turned him in to the real cops.
Yesterday, the Uber driver was jailed three weeks and fined $1,500 for his crimes.
That incident was not Lim's first time trying to cheat a prostitute by posing as a cop. The court heard that a few days earlier, he had targeted two other women.
On Oct 23 last year, Lim contacted Chinese national Liang Yan, 29, in response to her online advertisements for massage services.
Court papers said she also provided sexual services to her clients.
They met at her apartment in Balestier at about 1pm that day.
COULD NOT READ
Once inside, Lim claimed he was a police officer and showed Ms Liang two white-and-blue cards attached to a lanyard.
Ms Liang, who does not understand English, was unable to read the words on the cards and pleaded with Lim not to arrest her.
Lim told her he would let her off if she helped him, adding that he had financial problems. He asked for $6,000, but Ms Liang said she did not have that much and pleaded with him.
Lim told her to delete his contact number, as well as their text messages on her phone, before leaving.
Ms Liang made a police report and was told to alert the police should Lim contact her again.
On Oct 28, Lim contacted Ms Liang and arranged for another appointment.
At about 6.30pm, he drove to her unit accompanied by another man, Chan Ching San, 34, who stayed in the car and kept a lookout.
By then, Ms Liang had alerted the police after she recognised Lim's phone number. Lim and Chan were later arrested near Ms Liang's unit.
Police also found on Lim a Xiaomi mobile phone he had fraudulently taken from another prostitute.
On Oct 21, Lim had also tried to deceive two other women into giving him money by posing as a cop.
Court documents, however, do not reveal the amounts involved.
Lim had earlier admitted to one count of attempting to deceive Ms Liang and another count of failing to account how he obtained the mobile phone.
His accomplice, Chan, has his case pending.
Yesterday, Lim's lawyer, Mr Derek Kang, said in mitigation that Lim was remorseful and did not take any money from Ms Liang.
He said Lim approached Ms Liang a second time because he forgot he had already contacted her before.
He added that Lim confessed to attempting to trick the other two women on his own and would not have been charged had he not volunteered the information to the police.
District Judge Salina Ishak said a jail term was warranted as posing as a police officer had grave implications on the integrity of the police force.
The judge added that Lim targeted victims who were unable to read English and susceptible to deception.
Mr Kang indicated to the court his client would be appealing the sentence.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
