42-year-old man sentenced to 15 years’ jail and caning for rape of intoxicated woman

A 42-year-old man was sentenced on 24 November 2025 to 15 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane for raping an intoxicated woman after following her around Holland Village for nearly an hour.

The accused, Fok Jin Jin Dhanabalan, was also ordered by the High Court to pay S$18,524.12 in compensation to the victim. This amount covers her therapy, psychiatric medication, and treatment over the four years since the assault.

Justice Valerie Thean, who presided over the case, noted that Fok’s crime was premeditated, involved exploitation of a vulnerable victim, and inflicted severe psychological harm.

The sentencing followed his conviction on 22 September 2025, after he claimed that the victim had consented to sex — a claim the court found baseless.

Background of the incident

On the night of 30 January 2021, the victim celebrated her birthday with friends at Dempsey Hill and later moved on to Holland Village for drinks. She consumed multiple margaritas and tequila shots, becoming heavily intoxicated.

As the group tried to arrange transport home, she and a friend were left stranded after failing to book a ride. While they waited at a bus stop, Fok and his friend, Lee Kit, who had been watching them for about 40 minutes, approached and offered a lift.

The women, both visibly intoxicated, accepted the offer. During the journey, they vomited and passed out in the car. Fok took a photograph of them unconscious in the backseat.

Assault in the victim's home

After driving the women to the victim’s condominium, Fok and Lee assisted them into the flat. Once inside, Fok raped the victim while she lay unconscious, and Lee committed a sexual act on her. Her friend, who was on the same bed, was not assaulted.

Upon leaving, Fok realised he had left his mobile phone behind. When they returned to retrieve it, the victim had regained consciousness and called the police. Both men were arrested at the scene.

Legal arguments and sentencing

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ivan Chua requested a sentence of 17 to 18 years’ imprisonment and 18 strokes of the cane, citing the deliberate exploitation of the victim’s intoxication and the lasting trauma she experienced.

The Defence, led by Ramesh Tiwary, argued for a sentence of 12 to 14 years and cited Fok’s financial burdens, including family support responsibilities.

Justice Thean rejected these arguments, noting that Fok’s monthly income of over S$6,600, ownership of a Mercedes C180, and rental income contradicted his claim of financial incapacity.

If Fok fails to pay the compensation, he will serve an additional four months in jail.

Six aggravating factors identified

In her judgment, Justice Thean applied the sentencing framework established in Ng Kean Meng Terence v Public Prosecutor [2017] and identified six aggravating factors:

1. Victim’s vulnerability due to intoxication, which left her unconscious and unable to resist.

2. Premeditation, as Fok followed the victim around Holland Village for 40 minutes before acting.

3. Group offending, with both Fok and Lee participating in the assault.

4. Severe psychological harm, as the victim developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mixed Depressive and Anxiety Disorder.

5. Violation of the victim’s home, destroying her sense of safety in her own residence.

6. Failure to use a condom, which exposed the victim to risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Justice Thean ruled the case fell within Band 2 of the sentencing framework, rather than Band 3, noting it was serious but did not exhibit the extreme violence or perverse elements required for the highest sentencing tier.

No weight given to prior clean record

Although Fok had no prior convictions, the court gave little weight to this factor. Citing legal precedent, Justice Thean held that previous good behaviour carries minimal weight in sentencing for serious crimes like rape.

The judge also did not consider Fok’s falsehoods to the police and alleged attempts to mislead investigators as a separate aggravating factor, deeming them insufficient to escalate the sentence further.

Co-offender’s sentence

Lee Kit, who participated in the sexual assault by committing a molestation offence, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2024 to 20 months’ jail and four strokes of the cane.

Fok intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence, according to his lawyer.