Taxi driver fined for slapping car washer's buttock
A taxi driver who molested a car washer at a petrol kiosk was fined $4,000 on Tuesday (Oct 10).
Tee Kian Joo, 60, pleaded guilty to slapping the buttock of the 29-year-old woman at the petrol station in Woodlands at about 7pm on May 10, 2017.
That evening, Tee, who was a regular customer, had gone to the kiosk to get his taxi washed. After that was done, he parked the vehicle near the victim before going to get a wet towel to clean the car's interior.
She was wiping another car, when he approached her and said: "Today you very strong ah, you working whole day."
The victim continued wiping the car, and said that her work hours were usually long.
As she carried on working, while facing away from Tee, he slapped her right buttock once.
Shocked, the victim shouted at him, saying he had no right to do that.
Her protest attracted the attention of two of her male colleagues who intervened.
The victim felt that her modesty had been outraged and started to cry.
After the incident, Tee drove off. But, before leaving, he passed $10 to the victim's colleague and asked him to give it to the victim, but she was unwilling to accept the money.
She made a police report that evening.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai sought a fine of at least $4,000.
Tee's lawyer Charles Yeo said in mitigation that the touch was fleeting and the offence was committed "on the spur of the moment".
He asked that Tee be fined no more than $2,000 because of his poor financial circumstances. Tee, he said, had apologised to the victim and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail, fine and caning.
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