Man breaks law again while out of prison on remission

Even though he was on a remission order and later out on bail, an unemployed man stole mobile phones and a handbag left unattended by his victims.

Azman Murad, 46, was sentenced to 50 months' jail yesterday for stealing. He was given an additional sentence of 228 days' jail, or about 7½ months, for breaching the prison remission order.

From March 30 to Dec 28 last year, he was subject to the remission order, which is usually given to inmates for good behaviour.

But he reoffended from May 11, and was liable for an enhanced sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding the remaining duration of the order.

Azman, who faced 10 charges of theft, theft in dwelling, and dishonest misappropriation of property, admitted to three charges of stealing mobile phones and one of stealing a handbag from a woman at a shopping mall. In all, he stole items worth about $8,500, plus two iPhone 6s of unknown value.

Investigations showed that on May 15 last year, Azman was at a Gong Cha outlet in Clementi Mall when he stole a $400 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone from Ms Yong Yi Qing.

The Chinese national was not looking when he reached behind the counter and grabbed the phone, which he later sold to an unknown person for $100.

Two days later, he stole shop assistant Wang Yue's mobile phone, worth $1,150, when the 28-year- old left it unattended at the Zinc store in Bugis Junction.

He sold the phone to a stallholder in Clementi West Avenue 2 for $120.

After Azman was charged and out on bail, he stole yet again.

This time, he was walking around Paragon on Feb 18 when he saw bank executive Michele Yap's handbag that was left unattended on the baby stroller at Mothercare.

He stole the 39-year-old's bag containing $1,000 cash, two mobile phones, personal belongings and valuables totalling at least $3,680.

He took the cash and the two cellphones. He claimed that he placed some items in a plastic bag and deposited it into a postbox near Clementi West Street 2, and threw away the remaining items. He sold the phones to an Indonesian sailor in Clementi for $200 each.

None of the stolen items was recovered, and no restitution has been made.

Azman had previous convictions for drug consumption, cheating and theft in dwelling, and was last given 27 months' jail for theft in 2014.

District Judge Tan Jen Tse backdated his sentence to March 15, and took six charges into consideration in sentencing. The maximum penalty for theft in dwelling is seven years' jail and a fine per charge.

This article was first published on Mar 24, 2017.
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