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SINGAPORE — A couple have admitted to stealing S$330 worth of abalone from a Cold Storage supermarket, located along Bukit Timah Road, because the woman wanted to give the delicacy to her mother.
Enver Druce Ernest, 65, and his wife Low Yoke Lin Becky, 59, both pleaded guilty in a district court on Tuesday (Feb 22) to a single charge related to the theft of six cans of Skylight brand Australian abalone. They are both Singaporeans.
Ernest, who is currently unemployed but had been working in the oil and gas industry over the past two decades, was given one week’s imprisonment.
A mandatory treatment order suitability report was called for Low, a homemaker, who is scheduled to return to court on March 24 to receive her sentence.
This refers to a community sentencing option offered to offenders suffering from mental conditions that contributed to an offence.
Court documents showed that the theft took place on Jan 8 last year sometime before 7.20pm at the Cold Storage branch located at Cluny Court.
While the couple were shopping for their groceries, they came across a shelf displaying cans of abalone.
This prompted Low to mention to her husband that she wanted to gift some cans of abalones to her mother.
It was not stated why, but the couple decided to steal the abalone, rather than pay for it.
Enver took six cans of Skylight brand of abalones, valued at S$55 each, and placed them in a shopping basket before walking away.
He then handed the basket to his wife, who took it to an aisle where she transferred the cans of abalone into a bag that she had brought with her before returning the basket to her husband.
At about 7.21pm, Low walked out of the supermarket with the stolen products, while her husband returned the remaining items they had in the shopping basket back to the shelves.
He then joined his wife and the couple drove home.
The theft, which was captured on the supermarket’s surveillance camera, was only discovered the following day and the couple were subsequently arrested by the police.
In pleading for a lighter sentence for Low, who has had a history of theft, defence lawyer Peter Keith Fernando said that a psychiatric report from the Institute of Mental Health showed that she was suffering from depression and prolonged grief following the death of sister in 2018.
In addition, Low had also been diagnosed with kleptomania, though she is undergoing therapy sessions aimed at preventing her from offending again.
Mr Fernando said that Low is currently the sole caregiver of her 83-year-old mother, which a psychiatrist said may have given some psychological meaning to the theft.
“At the end of the day, the items were recovered and seized, and there was no gain or loss suffered,” he said.
For the theft of the abalone, the couple could have each been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Enver Druce Ernest, 65, and his wife Low Yoke Lin Becky, 59, both pleaded guilty in a district court on Tuesday (Feb 22) to a single charge related to the theft of six cans of Skylight brand Australian abalone. They are both Singaporeans.
Ernest, who is currently unemployed but had been working in the oil and gas industry over the past two decades, was given one week’s imprisonment.
A mandatory treatment order suitability report was called for Low, a homemaker, who is scheduled to return to court on March 24 to receive her sentence.
This refers to a community sentencing option offered to offenders suffering from mental conditions that contributed to an offence.
Court documents showed that the theft took place on Jan 8 last year sometime before 7.20pm at the Cold Storage branch located at Cluny Court.
While the couple were shopping for their groceries, they came across a shelf displaying cans of abalone.
This prompted Low to mention to her husband that she wanted to gift some cans of abalones to her mother.
It was not stated why, but the couple decided to steal the abalone, rather than pay for it.
Enver took six cans of Skylight brand of abalones, valued at S$55 each, and placed them in a shopping basket before walking away.
He then handed the basket to his wife, who took it to an aisle where she transferred the cans of abalone into a bag that she had brought with her before returning the basket to her husband.
At about 7.21pm, Low walked out of the supermarket with the stolen products, while her husband returned the remaining items they had in the shopping basket back to the shelves.
He then joined his wife and the couple drove home.
The theft, which was captured on the supermarket’s surveillance camera, was only discovered the following day and the couple were subsequently arrested by the police.
In pleading for a lighter sentence for Low, who has had a history of theft, defence lawyer Peter Keith Fernando said that a psychiatric report from the Institute of Mental Health showed that she was suffering from depression and prolonged grief following the death of sister in 2018.
In addition, Low had also been diagnosed with kleptomania, though she is undergoing therapy sessions aimed at preventing her from offending again.
Mr Fernando said that Low is currently the sole caregiver of her 83-year-old mother, which a psychiatrist said may have given some psychological meaning to the theft.
“At the end of the day, the items were recovered and seized, and there was no gain or loss suffered,” he said.
For the theft of the abalone, the couple could have each been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
