Back in 2020, Nicholas Yeo Shao Yi filmed his neighbour showering to relieve the stress of his legal profession.
After his arrest, he informed the investigating officers that his actions were the result of the pressure he felt from the ‘Circuit Breaker’.
He has consequently pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism. The district court has sentenced him to 12 weeks’ jail, considering another two charges of criminal trespass for the sentencing.
TODAY reports that at the time of the incident, both Yep and the victim lived in neighbouring terrace houses sharing a wall. The victim’s master bedroom also happened to have a toilet overlooking a small balcony.
On 23 Nov 2020, at around 7pm, she was showering while loudly playing videos on her phone — a habit Yeo was familiar with.
When he heard the sound, Yeo proceeded to climb out of his window. He then climbed over the parapet linking his residence to the victim’s balcony to film her.
According to TODAY, the victim managed to see Yeo’s arm holding an iPhone through the open window while she was drying herself with a towel.
This prompted her to shout, leading Yeo to escape the scene by scaling the wall dividing their balconies. She told her husband about what had just occurred and the two of them went to confront Yeo, who kept apologising and asking them to lower their voices.
He also requested if they could resolve the matter any other way or have the conversation elsewhere. He offered his phones for a check, and the victim was not able to find anything on them. Even so, she decided to call the police.
While Yeo did not record anything this time, he ended up confessing that he had successfully filmed the victim in the shower several months ago. However, he deleted the footage afterwards.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yvonne Poon informed the court that according to investigations, Yeo committed both offences as a way to relieve “work-related stress since the advent of the circuit breaker.”
Investigators also examined Yeo’s other electronic devices, including a laptop, but did not find any other such content.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports that the prosecution asked for 12 to 15 weeks, pointing out that Yeo’s offences violated the sanctity of the victim’s residence, and were premeditated.
In contrast, Yeo’s defence lawyer Shashi Nathan tried to mitigate his sentence by highlighting his remorse and desire for a fresh start.
Yeo now works in a private enterprise, having left the legal profession. This case may cause Yeo to face disciplinary proceedings by the Law Society of Singapore.
Mr Nathan was quoted as saying:
He is a young man who had a very good career in front of him, good prospects. As a result of this act, this mistake, this conviction, that career is by all means over.
Despite this, District Judge Tham pointed out that Yeo’s level of intrusion was high. He had dealt his victim significant harm by committing the offence in her private residence.
Excusing such actions as a form of stress-relief was a “big stretch”, he added.
However, Judge Tham noted Yeo did admit to his offence when caught. He had also revealed the previous incident even when there was no evidence linking him to the crime.
Judge Tham further commended Yeo on his efforts in showing remorse for his actions. He sentenced Yeo to 12 weeks’ jail, trusting that he would make a “fresh and clean start” upon completion of his prison sentence.
For each count of voyeurism, Yeo could have received a maximum two-year jail term, a fine, caning, or any combination of the three.
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Featured image by MS News.
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