Man jailed for stealing from students’ bags
Targeting schools, the unemployed man would sneak in and steal from the unattended bags of students.
Jau Mahadi Johari, 52, would then take the valuables, worth a total of more than $11,000, and pawn them off at HarbourFront Centre for cash.
Yesterday, he was jailed a total of nine years for criminal trespass, theft and drug offences.
On Sept 18 last year, Jau climbed over the gate of Damai Secondary School to steal as he was hungry.
He entered a class, where students were having physical education (PE) lesson, stealing their wallets and handphones. Jau then climbed out the school via the back gate.
He later sold the handphones, which included an iPhone 7, for $50 at HarbourFront Centre.
Three days later on Sept 21, he snuck into Damai Primary School, entering through a side gate along Bedok Reservoir Road.
He again spotted students having PE class and ransacked their belongings, stealing their wallets and phones. Jau left the school by again climbing over the school gate.
But he was arrested by police that day just before heading to HarbourFront Centre to pawn off the stolen phones.
From July to September last year, he had also stolen from students at Kallang Stadium, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Chinese Girls' School and the Singapore Institute of Technology at Dover.
His urine sample was also found to contain morphine, and he admitted to abusing heroin. Jau was convicted on seven charges of theft, four charges of criminal trespass and a drug charge yesterday.
Another 18 similar charges were taken into consideration.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Han said Jau's offences were sustained and repeated, targeting schools knowing the bags would be unattended.
She added that his long history of drug abuse and theft dated back to 1996.
For each charge of theft, he could have been jailed for up to three years, or fined, or both.
For each charge of criminal trespass, he could have been jailed for up to a year, or fined up to $3,000, or both.
For repeated consumption of drugs, he could have been jailed for up to 13 years.
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