Hossain Mohammad Azim assaulted the woman after he confronted her for being with another man.

SINGAPORE – A construction worker who paid a surprise visit to a block of flats to check on his girlfriend, a foreign domestic worker, became angered when he spotted her with another man.

Hossain Mohammad Azim waited for the other man to leave, then ambushed the woman outside her employer’s home and led her to a secluded stairwell where he sexually assaulted her.

On May 6, Azim, 34, was sentenced to 12 years 10 months’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

The Bangladeshi national had earlier been convicted of three charges by a High Court judge on March 4.

He had claimed trial to one count of aggravated sexual assault by penetration and one count of criminal intimidation in relation to the attack on the victim, who was then 33 years old, on Dec 14, 2021.

After he was found guilty of the two charges, he pleaded guilty to a third charge of perverting the course of justice.

Azim and the victim began a romantic relationship in 2018.

They “exchanged vows” in a church, although this was not a formal solemnisation of marriage, and met on rest days for sex.

However, the woman began having sex with another man a few months before she was assaulted by Azim.

Azim found out about this relationship on Dec 8, 2021, after he ambushed her at the block and looked through her mobile phone.

On Dec 14, 2021, Azim arrived unannounced at the block, as he suspected that the woman was still cheating on him despite claiming to have broken off contact with the other man.

He spotted her with the other man at the stairwell next to the lift lobby.

The woman was unaware of his presence, and returned to her employer’s flat after the other man left.

While lying in wait for her to go out to buy lunch, he sent her text messages saying that he was at work.

When she left the flat, Azim confronted her and led her to the stairwell.

He slapped her face and kicked her, and while the woman was reeling from the physical assault, he sexually violated her.

He also threatened to throw her down the staircase.

The victim managed to run away and took refuge at a neighbour’s flat.

Her employer, who was home at the time, went to the neighbour’s unit after being notified by Azim that the victim was there, and called the police.

Between April and June 2022, while Azim was remanded in Changi Prison, he sent e-letters instructing his brother to contact the victim and convey messages to her, to persuade her to change or withdraw her allegations.

During his trial, Azim disputed the woman’s version of events. He claimed that he had touched her with her consent after he asked her why she was cheating on him.

Azim also denied he had threatened to throw her down the stairs.

In convicting Azim, Justice Audrey Lim said she did not believe his version of events and found that he was not a credible witness.

In sentencing submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Alexandria Shamini Joseph sought 15 to 16 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane for Azim.

She argued that the assault was committed in a residential neighbourhood, shaking the public’s collective sense of safety and tranquillity.

She added that the penetrative act carried out by Azim was particularly intrusive and vicious, and that the victim would have to revisit the traumatic act every time she returned to the flat.

Mr Asoka Markandu, who is representing Azim under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, argued for 10½ years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

He contended that the assault was a spontaneous and emotionally charged reaction, rather than a calculated act.

He highlighted that after the incident, Azim had sought help for the victim by going to the employer’s home, admitting that he had assaulted the victim, and telling the employer that she was in the neighbour’s flat.