SINGAPORE – A woman who rejected a romantic relationship with the chief executive of a drone racing company installed safety devices at her home after the man showed up there to serve her court papers for a $3 million defamation suit.
Ms Nora Tan countersued Mr K. Kawshigan, claiming $474.89 for the digital door viewer, alarm sensor and video doorbell, as well as about $1,000 for expenses she incurred participating in his counselling and “healing” sessions for 1½ years.
Ms Tan, a sustainability manager, is also claiming an unspecified sum for her own counselling sessions.
Mr Kawshigan, however, contended that her act of calling the police while he was outside her flat amounted to defamatory conduct.
The D1 Racing CEO, who is representing himself in court, alleged in the High Court suit that at least seven other people overheard Ms Tan telling the police that she felt very harassed.
The legal dispute between Mr Kawshigan, 30, and Ms Tan, 34, was reported by The Straits Times on Tuesday after a magistrate’s court struck out a second claim he filed against her.
The separate claim sought $22,000 in damages from Ms Tan for allegedly breaching an agreement to improve their relationship.
In striking out the second legal action, deputy registrar Lewis Tan said it had been intentionally initiated by Mr Kawshigan “with the ulterior motive of vexing or oppressing the defendant by requiring her to defend various claims” and was a “calculated attempt to compel engagement” from her.
The court also ordered Mr Kawshigan to pay $14,000 in legal costs to Ms Tan.
Ms Tan and Mr Kawshigan met in 2016.
In September 2020, problems arose when they became misaligned in how they saw their relationship. While Ms Tan regarded Mr Kawshigan as only a friend, he considered her to be his “closest friend”.
Ms Tan asked for their communications and meetings to be reduced, which displeased him.
On Oct 22 that year, he issued her a letter of demand, threatening legal action for “monetary damages arising from negligent infliction of emotional distress and possible defamation”.
Mr Kawshigan’s counsellor then asked Ms Tan to participate in their sessions. She agreed as she thought it would help him come to terms with her decision not to pursue a romantic relationship with him.
After 1½ years, Ms Tan stopped the sessions as she felt they had become futile.
