SINGAPORE - A jewellery shop sales assistant snatched a woman's purse and bit her forearm when she resisted his attempt to steal from her, a court heard.

Siaw Wei Sheng, 53, accused originally of robbery with hurt, was sentenced to 15 months' jail on Friday after admitting to using criminal force to steal a black purse, $70, a POSB ATM card, some miscellaneous cards and a doctor's prescription from Madam Kannammah Krishnan, 45.

This was at a staircase leading to the basement carpark in Tekka Market, Buffalo Road, on Sept 29 last year at about 6.45 pm.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Ee Kuan said that Siaw, then working at a jewellery store at Tekka Market, was standing near the staircase when he saw Madam Kannammah carrying a black purse in her left hand. He decided that he was going to steal it.

He followed her and as she was walking down the staircase and tried to pull the purse out of her hand. When she resisted, he bit her on the left forearm and managed to snatch the purse from her . He then fled.

He removed $70 in cash from the purse and threw away the purse with its contents.

He spent some of the cash on groceries at a NTUC FairPrice supermarket before returning home.

Siaw's face was captured on CCTV. He was arrested at his home later that evening. A yellow T-shirt, blue jeans, a dark blue cap and a pair of black spectacles which he had worn were seized.

He could have been jailed for up to seven years and caned for using criminal force to commit theft.