Serial snack thief strikes again at Jewel Changi, jailed for 10 weeks
She said she was hungry and had no money.
A woman with a long string of theft convictions has landed behind bars again - this time for stealing snacks from Jewel Changi Airport, where she claims she often sleeps overnight.
The 49-year-old, identified as Soo Jie Wei (name transliterated), was sentenced to 10 weeks' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of theft and one count of attempted theft, reported Shin Min Daily News.
In the latest string of offences, Soo stole chocolates, biscuits and other snacks on three separate occasions - March 17, April 6, and April 7 - from different stores in Jewel.
Court documents revealed that on the night of April 6, Soo went to Jewel to sleep. When she woke up hungry the next morning and realised she had no money, she headed into a pop-up store and attempted to steal two boxes of egg rolls worth $40.
After noticing a female cleaner staring at her, she placed the items back on the counter and walked off. The cleaner alerted her supervisor.
Security officers at Jewel Changi Airport managed to apprehend Soo after spotting her on CCTV. They detained her and called the police.
This isn't her first brush with the law.
According to Shin Min, Soo had committed theft 18 times between March 3 and October 17, 2023, all at Jewel Changi Airport.
A judge noted that she had been convicted six times in the past 18 months alone.
In her defence, Soo claimed that her boyfriend works at Jewel, which is why she often spends the night there.
She added that she stole only because she was hungry and had no money.