Woman jailed for robbery at former workplace

Woman jailed for robbery at former workplace

A former hotel employee returned to her one-time workplace in the middle of the night and made off with $660 after threatening the receptionist with a pair of scissors.

Norlinah Jafar, 36, first asked Ms Fatimah Mohamed Hussain, 37, to go to the toilet, which would have left the cash drawer unattended.

The receptionist refused, correctly suspecting that Norlinah wanted to steal the cash inside.

But Norlinah briefly brandished the scissors and pulled Ms Fatimah into the toilet. Ms Fatimah later handed over the drawer keys in fear.

Norlinah then unlocked the drawer, took the money and fled in a taxi. She used the loot for personal expenses and no restitution has been made.

Yesterday, she was jailed for three years for the robbery at New Happy Hotel in Lorong 10 Geylang around 2.40am on Oct 22.

Her total sentence comes to three years and two weeks, after she received a further two weeks' jail for misappropriating $936 from Dragon Court Hotel in Mosque Street.

She committed the Dragon Court Hotel offence just four days before the robbery, less than a day into a second employment stint there.

She had earlier been sacked for taking Dragon Court's money, but was rehired as a receptionist on a second chance.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Andrew Low said the robbery victim, Ms Fatimah, had been placed in fear and forcibly pulled into an enclosed area.

He pointed out how Norlinah had committed her multiple offences in just the month of October.

Norlinah could have been jailed for between three and 14 years for robbery between 7pm and 7am.


This article was first published on December 20, 2014.
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