Sep 20, 2010
Robber gets jail and caning
By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
A MAN who robbed four victims of property worth about $2,230 with his accomplices was sentenced to four years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Monday. Mohamed Haja Shaik Alawdin, 23, had earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery and one of desertion. Two other robbery charges were considered during his sentencing.
Three of his accomplices, Saravanan Sundararaj, 24, unemployed, Kannan, 23, unemployed, and Kathiravan Annamalai, 21, a student, have been dealt with. The court heard that Mohamed Haja was with his group when he approached taxi driver Soh Sim Thye, 58, at the carpark infront of Block 422 Hougang Avenue 2 at about 3am on April 7 to ask for directions to the nearest coffeeshop.
Before Mr Soh could reply, the four assaulted him and fled with his belongings totalling about $560 after he had fallen to the ground. In another robbery 10 days later, Mohamed Haja, Kannan and Kathiravan robbed temple assistant Tay Sin Yeun, 52, of cash and valuables amounting to $1,340 near Block 44 Sims Drive.
On the desertion charge, the court was told that Mohamed Haja had failed to report for duty at Civil Defence since July last year until his arrest by the police on May 13. He could have been jailed for up to 14 years and caned on each robbery charge, and for desertion, jailed up to 10 years.
