SINGAPORE : An inmate who escaped from custody was
sentenced to an additional seven months' jail on Friday, after
being re-arrested when his brother turned him in two-and-a-half
months ago.
Tee Choon Yong, 33, had been sentenced to 54 months'
jail and given six strokes of the cane in October 2008 for robbery
and housebreaking.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Elena Yip said on
Friday that Tee had been granted leave on January 6 so that he
could be employed by the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative
Enterprises (SCORE).
He was assigned to work at the Singapore General Hospital's linen
section as part of his rehabilitative programme and had to stay at
the Selarang Park Community Supervision Centre.
Tee was granted leave to return home in May but he had to stick to
a curfew. DPP Yip said that Tee had to remain indoors between 6pm
and 5am on weekdays and between 8pm and 8am on weekends.
But he disobeyed these orders and left home at around 11pm on May
27. He went to Geylang and bought a pair of scissors which he used
to cut away the electronic tagging device around his ankle.
Over the next few days, Tee received numerous calls and messages
from officers at the supervision centre asking him to report to
them.
He ignored their orders and only went home in the morning on May
30.
His brother called the police about his return and Tee was arrested
at around noon that day.
For escaping from custody, he could have been jailed up to two
years, fined, or both.
- CNA/ms/al