An Indian-origin Singaporean taxi driver was sentenced to one year and five months jail after he pleaded guilty to four theft charges, including SGD 43,400 jewellery from his 70-year-old mother.
Michael Raj, 48, with financial problems stole three Rolex watches worth more than SGD 200,000 in total from three sleeping passengers on separate occasions, and sold the timepieces, The Straits Times reported.
His crime spree started when he stole his mother's jewellery between May and June 2021.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Shi Yun told the court: “This was not a case of a careless victim who left her valuables lying around in the open.
“The victim's (valuables) were locked in a drawer in a cupboard and (its) key was kept in another drawer in the same cupboard.” After that, Michael pawned the valuables at various pawnshops without his mother's consent and paid his debts.
On July 5, 2021, his mother discovered that several pieces of her jewellery were missing.
She confronted him two days later and then reported the matter to the police.
Michael has since made partial restitution of around SGD 3,000 to her.
On September 2, 2022, he was driving a taxi and picked up a heavily intoxicated 33-year-old man near Orchard Towers shopping mall at around 5 am.
The passenger was asleep when they reached the man's destination.
Michael then removed the man's Rolex watch, worth SGD45,000, from his wrist.
The following month, he stole a second Rolex watch, worth nearly SGD 67,300, from a 44-year-old male passenger who had also fallen asleep in his taxi.
The two passengers alerted the police when they found their valuables missing.
Their watches were not recovered and Michael has made no restitution to the two victims, the court heard.
On June 15, 2023, Michael stole a third Rolex watch, worth SGD 88,000, from a 30-year-old man who had boarded the offender's taxi before nodding off.
The watch has since been recovered and returned to the victim after he made a police report.
On July 30, defence lawyer Wee Hong Shern urged the court to sentence Michael to a year and three months in jail.
Wee added: “He sincerely wishes to turn over a new leaf. He will serve his sentence and thereafter commit himself to work and to make up for lost time with his wife and daughter.”
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