AN unemployed man who molested girls and women mostly inside lifts in Woodlands was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail and 10 strokes of the cane on Thursday.

Ridhwan Ya'acob pleaded guilty earlier to seven charges ranging from aggravated molestation to causing grievous hurt between June and September.

A district court heard that the 21-year-old, who just became a father, preyed on young students by following them into lifts.

Once, he punched a 16-year-old girl and broke her nose, and on another occasion, he kicked and punched a 12-year-old whose shorts he tried to remove.

On Aug 24, he had entered the lift with a 20-year-old student and thrown his cigarette butt on the floor when the lift was ascending.

He reached under her skirt and touched her private parts.

When the victim shouted, he tried to kiss her. When she squatted down to avoid him, he pulled her head towards him and used his knee to hit her on the head.

The cigarette butt was seized and sent for DNA analysis. It was traced to Ridhwan who was arrested at a void deck in Woodlands Avenue 1 on Sept 4.

Five other charges were taken into consideration.

Pleading for leniency, Ridhwan, whose girlfriend gave birth about two weeks ago, told District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim he wished to apologise to the victims and wanted to be a good husband and father.