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The New Paper </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15">
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He steals from call girls after sex because... <!-- TITLE : end--> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" height="15">
</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="bodytext_10pt"> <!-- CONTENT : start --> By Vivien Chan
HE had a strange reason for stealing from call girls: He claimed he wanted a lasting relationship with his victims. It was, said District Judge Jill Tan, a "misguided" way to start a relationship. Lum Mun Cheng, 29, a "freelance producer", would hook up with call girls who advertised their services on the Internet. He would then go to budget hotels in Kovan and Changi with them. After having sex, he would slip away with the women's belongings while they were washing up. From July to December last year, Lum struck five times. His victims ranged from a student to a 45-year-old Singaporean housewife.
Lum was sentenced to four months' jail on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and one charge of fraudulent possession. Three other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing. In mitigation, his lawyer, Mr Supramaniam Rajan said: "(Lum) had taken the items under the erroneous and misguided belief that the girls would call him up and strike a meaningful relationship with him." However, court documents stated that few called him back. And those who did only scolded him.
The court heard that on Nov 21, one of his victims, the 45-year-old housewife, called the police and reported: "A fat Chinese man wearing grey black shirt and Bermudas took my bag and walk (sic) out of the hotel. I do not know where he went to." After Lum had sex with her, he took her belongings - including her mobile phone, ez-link cards, NRIC and costume jewellery, in all worth about $508 - while she was in the toilet. Exactly a month later, a 24-year-old Singaporean woman fell prey to the same ploy. Lum took her belongings, worth $1,350.
He did not reply when the woman called him on his mobile phone. She did not make a police report immediately as she found it embarrassing to reveal the circumstances that led to the theft. She eventually had to lodge a report to make a replacement identity card. <table align="right" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" width="150"> <tbody><tr> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lum Mun Cheng</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Lum also made off with the NRICs, ez-link cards, mobile phones, wallets and even the keys of his other victims. On Dec 22 last year, Lum, who holds a diploma in multimedia studies, was arrested at his Tampines flat. It is believed he could have been traced through his mobile phone. Several of the stolen items were found in his possession.
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The New Paper </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15">
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He steals from call girls after sex because... <!-- TITLE : end--> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" height="15">
HE had a strange reason for stealing from call girls: He claimed he wanted a lasting relationship with his victims. It was, said District Judge Jill Tan, a "misguided" way to start a relationship. Lum Mun Cheng, 29, a "freelance producer", would hook up with call girls who advertised their services on the Internet. He would then go to budget hotels in Kovan and Changi with them. After having sex, he would slip away with the women's belongings while they were washing up. From July to December last year, Lum struck five times. His victims ranged from a student to a 45-year-old Singaporean housewife.
Lum was sentenced to four months' jail on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and one charge of fraudulent possession. Three other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing. In mitigation, his lawyer, Mr Supramaniam Rajan said: "(Lum) had taken the items under the erroneous and misguided belief that the girls would call him up and strike a meaningful relationship with him." However, court documents stated that few called him back. And those who did only scolded him.
The court heard that on Nov 21, one of his victims, the 45-year-old housewife, called the police and reported: "A fat Chinese man wearing grey black shirt and Bermudas took my bag and walk (sic) out of the hotel. I do not know where he went to." After Lum had sex with her, he took her belongings - including her mobile phone, ez-link cards, NRIC and costume jewellery, in all worth about $508 - while she was in the toilet. Exactly a month later, a 24-year-old Singaporean woman fell prey to the same ploy. Lum took her belongings, worth $1,350.
He did not reply when the woman called him on his mobile phone. She did not make a police report immediately as she found it embarrassing to reveal the circumstances that led to the theft. She eventually had to lodge a report to make a replacement identity card. <table align="right" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" width="150"> <tbody><tr> <td>
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