For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both. - Photo: ST file
SINGAPORE: Between 2023 and 2025, a woman stole cash and fruit from a stall in Ang Mo Kio, and picked the pockets of several people in Yishun.
On Thursday (Dec 18), Ong Siew York, 71, was sentenced to seven weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to three counts of theft and one count of theft in dwelling.
She was also fined S$2,000 for unlawful gambling.
Ong visited a fruit stall in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at around 1.25pm on Aug 1, 2023, and stole a box of lychees while the stall assistant was distracted.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo told the court that Ong had also stolen cash from two victims at the same fruit stall on Sept 28, 2023.
On May 11, 2024, Ong was at a makeshift store at Block 103 Yishun Avenue 1 when she reached into another woman’s sling bag and grabbed the wallet.
After taking $370 in cash from it, she put the wallet back in the victim’s bag.
When told her bag was open, the woman made a police report.
On the morning of June 15, 2024, Ong took a taxi to the same area in Yishun.
At around 10am, she noticed a woman carrying an unzipped handbag and browsing clothes at a makeshift store outside Block 103.
Pretending to peruse the clothes for sale, Ong moved closer to her targeted victim and noticed that the woman’s handbag contained two purses.
Ong took one of the purses out of the victim’s bag but after rifling through its contents, she realised it contained no cash and threw it in a dustbin.
Police officers witnessed Ong stealing the purse and after they confronted her, she admitted to her actions and was arrested.
“The accused would target lone females with handbags that were left open. She would assess whether the opening of the bag was big enough for her to slip her hand into and would only attempt to steal if she was confident that she could reach into the handbag without the owner of the handbag noticing,” said DPP Teo.
On Sept 12, Ong stole two packets of sea cucumber worth $657 from a makeshift store at Block 274 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4.
She then gave her loot to a friend, who sold it and passed her $400 in cash.
A shop worker discovered the packets were missing following a stock check, after which the shop owner made a police report.
In mitigation, Ong’s lawyer, A. Alagappan from A Alagappan Law Corporation, said that Ong suffered from major depressive disorder.
“Whenever she is stressed, she is not able to cope and thus committed the offences,” he said, adding that she has been going for regular appointments at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
Alagappan added that Ong also suffered from other physical ailments and was hospitalised in August.
“My client is very remorseful and ashamed for what she has done. She assures the court that she will keep to her IMH appointments so that she does not re-offend.”
In sentencing, Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu said she acknowledged Ong’s mental health challenges, but added that they did not contribute to her offending behaviour.
For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
