Detention for stealing almost $1m in property

[Pang De]

Jun 23, 2011

Detention for stealing almost $1m in property

By Elena Chong

Armed with a screwdriver and a pair of gloves, Bay broke into the premises and stole, among other things, a laptop, jewellery, foreign currencies and Rolex watches. -- PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

A MAN who broke into 144 Housing Board flats island-wide and got away with almost $1 million worth of property was given 13 years' preventive detention and 24 strokes of the cane on Thursday.

Bay Buck Siong, 48, had targeted homes in areas such as Tampines, Yishun, Bukit Batok, Clementi and Hougang between Feb 24, 2009 and Jan 16 this year. The odd-job worker had committed the offences within six months of his release from a nine-year and 24-stroke sentence in 1999 for similar offences.

He pleaded guilty earlier this month to 10 counts of housebreaking and theft by day involving $129,722. Armed with a screwdriver and a pair of gloves, he broke into the premises and stole, among other things, a laptop, jewellery, foreign currencies and Rolex watches.

Most of the stolen items were not recovered as he had sold them to unknown shoppers in Chinatown and Geylang. A gambling addict, Bay was arrested at Resorts World Sentosa casino on Jan 25 this year. He gambled away the money.

Another 135 counts including theft, fraudulent possession and two attempts at housebreaking and theft by night were taken into consideration.

District Judge Paul Quan called him a menace to society and said he should be kept out of circulation.

 

[lauhunku]

Jun 24, 2011

Serial burglar stole $1m in 2-year spree
His latest crimes began just six months after he served 9-year sentence

By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent

Bay Buck Siong

A SERIAL burglar for whom jail terms and corrective training stints have merely been breaks between his housebreaking sprees has been put away for a long time - 13 years.

Odd-job worker Bay Buck Siong, 48, will also have to suffer 24 strokes of the cane for having stolen almost $1 million in cash and property over two years.

His latest series of break-ins involved about 140 flats from Ang Mo Kio to Tampines and Woodlands between February 2009 and January this year, and began barely six months after his release from a nine-year and 24-stroke sentence.

He sold most of the stolen items in Chinatown and Geylang, and gambled away all the cash.

When he vowed yesterday not to commit any more offences, District Judge Paul Quan was sceptical.

The judge said to him: 'Your track record does not give me the confidence that you will not re-offend.'

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.
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Additional reporting by Tham Yuen-C