S
San Zang
Guest
Dec 8, 2010
Convicted: Man who stole lorry batteries
By Khushwant Singh
FROM January to July, 2010, Azman Mohd Noor, 46, would drive to car parks for heavy vehicles all over the island, snooping around for the batteries of lorries parked there.
After ensuring that the coast was clear, he would take out spanners from his toolbox and dismantle the battery compartment box of the lorry, which is often located at its undercarriage. Packing the two batteries of a lorry into the boot of his car, Azman would then drive off.
A district court heard that he stole 114 batteries in a seven-month period. On Wednesday, Azman pleaded guilty and was convicted on 15 charges of theft. Another 42 charges will be taken into consideration by District Judge Liew Thiam Leng when the court passes sentence on Azman on Dec 13.
He could be jailed up to seven years and fined up to $10,000 on each offence. He could also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for a term deemed fit by the court. The batteries were worth a total of $19,000, or more than $160 per battery, and Azman would sell each for about $30 to second-hand dealers.
According to court documents, his crime spree started on the night of Jan 23 when he stole two batteries of a lorry parked at the heavy vehicles car park at West Coast Link. He then moved to other car parks in Jurong, Jalan Bahar, Marsiling, Bukit Batok, Woodlands, Sembawang and Yishun.