IN A crime spree that spanned over almost two years, an
unemployed man stole or misappropriated items worth $617,175.
Mark Tan Kok Leng struck at three jewellery shops in Tiong Bahru
Plaza, Jurong Point and Chinatown and made off with $543,856 worth
of items from January to September last year.
He also prowled the corridors in Housing Board estates to spot
flats to break into.
Once, he molested a 22-year-old victim, and in another incident,
he pushed and robbed a tipsy woman returning home in the early
hours.
Yesterday, Tan, 29, was jailed for seven years and ordered to be
given 24 strokes of the cane on 13 charges involving stolen items
totalling about $584,000.
Tan, whose sentence was backdated to Sept 28, had 28 other
charges considered.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Quek Jing Feng told District Judge Roy
Neighbour that Tan broke into flats in Pasir Ris, Havelock Road,
Bukit Batok, Petain Road and Bukit Merah View and made off with
goods worth between $350 and $27,600.
He gained entry through main doors or windows that were not
secured.
In the robbery-with-hurt case on Jan 24 last year, he was at a
block in Kim Tian Road at about 3.30am when he called out to a
25-year-old Malaysian woman who ignored him.
He followed her up a flight of steps, grabbed hold of her right
arm and pushed her. When she lay unconscious, he stole her
handbag and fled. She was given six day's hospitalisation
leave.
About a fortnight later, he broke into Citigems jewellery store
at Tiong Bahru Plaza to steal Valentine's Day gifts for his
girlfriend. He picked the lock securing the glass panels and stole
12 items worth $16,078.
On Sept 21, he used improvised keys to unlock the roller
shutters of Chung Hwa Jade and Jewellery at People's Park Complex
and took $475,473 worth of jewellery.
Police recovered $455,360 of the loot when they raided his home
five days later after his arrest at Bukit Gombak MRT station where
a foldable knife was found on him.
He admitted selling 12 pieces of jewellery on two occasions to a
shop for $20,113 and spending all the money.
Pressing for a stiff sentence, DPP Eunice Chong said his
propensity to commit property-related offences showed his blatant
disregard for the property rights of others.
Among the aggravating factors were the premeditated and
calculated acts, the manner in which the offences were commited and
the multiple charges.
Lawyer Peter Fernando said his client's major depressive
disorder had caused him to commit the offences. But a government
psychiatrist had found Tan to have a "personality disorder" which
had no casual link to his offences.
(Taken from The Straits Times, Friday, June 10 2011, Page
C14)