By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A vigilante cop-impersonator who bashed and interrogated his girlfriend’s ex-partner in public parks has been jailed.
Pardeep Singh, 20, of Dandenong, pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to assault, false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer.
Singh had been told the 19-year-old victim had raped his girlfriend in a previous relationship, the court heard.
He arranged his partner to lure the victim to an intimate rendezvous at Skye Valley Park on New Years Eve night 2018.
In plain clothes, Singh introduced himself as an officer from the “division of sexual assault and rape” who’d been investigating allegations against the man.
With claims there were hidden cameras and undercover police cars nearby, Singh interrogated the man and threatened him with violence and jail-time.
He claimed he had hidden audio and footage of an encounter between his girlfriend and the victim in a car.
They exchanged phone numbers, with Singh later texting the victim an intervention order-like statement protecting the girlfriend.
The next day, Singh marched the victim to a Frankston park, gave him a pat-down search and punched him several times.
On 4 January 2019, Singh with his girlfriend and girlfriend’s mother took the victim to George Pentland Botanical Garden during the mid-afternoon.
The victim’s hands were tied behind his back. He was held by Singh while the girlfriend’s mother interrogated him, struck his face up to 25 times and kicked him in the testicles.
Singh told the victim he wanted him dead but it would be too much paperwork.
In sentencing on 23 January, Judge Kevin Doyle accepted Singh’s remorse shown by his full admissions and early guilty plea.
“I accept your traumatic history goes some way to explaining but not excusing the way you behaved in this case.
“By impersonating a police officer to commit these crimes you literally put the law into your own hands.”
The serious conduct had a “substantial impact” on the “terrified” victim, who’d stated he couldn’t sleep nor stop thinking about the attacks.
Mr Doyle noted Singh’s recent history of incarceration, “discouraging” criminal history and lack of ties to his family.
The Malay-born Singh, who is on a permanent protection visa, was at risk of deportation if jailed for more than 12 months.
He was jailed for 11 months – time already more than served during 380 days of pre-sentence custody.
Singh was placed on an two-year community corrections order including supervision, judicial monitoring, mental health and drug treatment.
