A MAN who committed a series of robberies at convenience stores and two cabbies was jailed for eight years on Monday.

Lok Lin Kwong, 51, pleaded guilty to five charges of robbery involving $3,071 between Nov 18 last year and Jan 1 this year.

A district court heard that he robbed 7-Eleven and Cheers outlets in various places as well as cabby Yeo Kim Cheng, 51, of $200 last November.

He was caught after robbing a 7-Eleven outlet of $381 at French Road a second time on Jan 1. He had earlier robbed the premises last Nov 18 of $1,300.

The court heard that on Jan 1, he entered the store at about 5am covering his head with a jacket and holding onto a piece of broken vase in his right hand.

He approached the 30-year-old cashier with the broken vase and demanded that she open the cash register. Out of fear, she opened it and Lok removed all the money in it.

He warned her not to raise any alarm or call the police.

Plain-clothes police officers spotted him and eventually arrested him at the underpass of Lavender MRT after a short chase.

The other robberies took place at Jalan Besar and Geylang Road.

Eight other charges were taken into consideration.