Jail for HK man who punched, robbed man after losing all his money on gambling
Luo Shaowen, 50, bought a knife, thinking he could rob people to pay for his travel expenses.
In just over two weeks, a Hong Kong man gambled away all his money after arriving in Singapore.
Luo Shaowen (transliteration) then bought a kitchen knife, thinking that he could rob people to pay for his travel expenses.
The 50-year-old ended up punching a man in broad daylight in the Central Business District, stealing his wallet, $300 in cash, and other valuables.
On Aug 2, Luo, who pleaded guilty to one charge of robbery, was sentenced to two years in prison. He was spared from caning as he is over 50 years of age.
Lost all his money on gambling
Shin Min Daily News reported that Luo flew from Hong Kong to Singapore on Feb 20 this year, planning to return home on Mar 19. He went to the Marina Bay Sands Casino to gamble and lost all his money by Mar 8.
As Luo had no more money, he decided to cover his travel expenses by robbing people. Believing that those who frequented the MBS area were wealthier, he decided to go there to look for targets.
On Mar 9, Luo took the MRT to Bayfront MRT Station while carrying two suitcases, one of which contained a kitchen knife.
Investigations revealed that he had bought a knife the day before, intending to use it during the robbery, but later changed his mind and put it in his suitcase.
Daylight robbery
At around noon, Luo placed two suitcases in the corner of a building and began looking for targets.
He then noticed a 33-year-old Chinese man who was having lunch at Lau Pa Sat at 11.50am. The man, who was carrying a beige tote bag containing his passport, wallet, and some documents, walked to Robinson Road after lunch.
At 12.32pm, while the victim was using his mobile phone outside City House on Robinson Road, Luo approached the victim from behind and punched him in the head.
The victim staggered and dropped his mobile phone, and Luo took the opportunity to snatch his bag and run away.
The victim later called the police and went to Singapore General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cervical contusion.
Incident captured on CCTV
Luo's actions were captured by nearby CCTV cameras. Court documents showed that he took $300 from the victim's wallet, used $100 to book a hotel room, and spent the remaining amount on food.
On the day of the robbery, Leo took a train to Telok Ayer MRT Station and was arrested at 7.50 pm. Police seized $172 in cash from him, along with the victim's bag and ID.
The prosecution noted that the defendant had a certain degree of premeditation and chose to commit the crime in an area where he believed rich people would be present. It called for a two-year prison.
Luo pleaded for leniency, saying that he had other choice as he still had 10 days before returning but had no more money.