Man steals gold bracelet worth S$12.9K from elderly victim in Bukit Merah to pay off loan sharks
A man who robbed an elderly victim of his gold bracelet in Bukit Merah to pay off loan shark debts has pleaded guilty in court and begged for a lighter sentence.
The incident occurred around 12.15pm on 26 March when 52-year-old Cheong Kok Hoe noticed a 72-year-old man waiting for the lift at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Cheong noticed the elderly man had a gold bracelet on his right wrist and decided to snatch it from him.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Robbery struggle leaves elderly victim with minor injuries
The defendant seized the man by the right hand and tried to pull the bracelet off.
A struggle ensued before Cheong fled with the gold bracelet, leaving the elderly man with minor injuries as a result.
The victim suffered abrasions on his head, wrist, and knee. He alerted the police before seeking treatment at a nearby polyclinic.
Man pawns gold bracelet for nearly S$13K
At 12.50pm, Cheong entered a pawnshop on Chinatown’s Upper Cross Street. He pawned the gold bracelet for S$12,900.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Using police cameras and CCTV footage, officers tracked him down swiftly and arrested him within four hours of the crime.
He was found with S$3,300 in cash. Investigations revealed that he had spent the rest of the money repaying illegal debts. Police also recovered the pawned bracelet.
Pleads for leniency due to ill mother & health issues
In court, Cheong was charged with one count of robbery. The self-represented defendant pleaded guilty to the offence on 21 July.
During mitigation, Cheong said his 80-year-old mother had fallen ill.
He worried that she would pass away before the end of his jail term and pleaded for leniency.
Additionally, the defendant said he just had surgery on his legs and suffered mobility issues.
The judge acknowledged that the victim only suffered minor injuries, but pointed out that the defendant had a prior criminal record.
The offence of robbery also carries a mandatory caning punishment of at least six strokes.
As Cheong was too old to be caned, the judge added three months of jail instead, for a total sentence of three years.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News, Singapore Police Force, and MS News.
