A car spray painter, who tried to steal diamond rings and earrings worth $70,000, from a jewellery shop was jailed for four weeks on Friday.

Quek Seow Kwang, 56, admitted to the attempted theft from sales executive Koh Theng Boo, 60, at Ban Cheong Jewellers at Block 709 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 on April 1.

A Community Court heard that Quek walked into the jewellery shop at about 11am that day and suddenly used the base of a chair to hit the glass showcase panel three times. Mr Koh, who was sitting behind the showcase, was in a state of shock when Quek hit the glass showcase panel. He also heard him say: "Why the glass was so thick?''.

Quek threw the chair on the floor and walked out. There was no damage to the glass showcase panel and nothing was stolen. While at home, Quek regretted his actions and gave himself up at the Ang Mo Kio South Neighbourhood Police Centre about five hours later.

In mitigation, Quek said he had had three bottles of beer prior to the offence. He said he was remorseful. When he realised what he had done was wrong, he decided to surrender himself.

He could have been jailed for up to 11/2 years and/or fined.