Man gets 6 years corrective training, caning for theft and causing hurt with knife

A man was sentenced to six years' corrective training and six strokes of the cane on Wednesday for multiple offences including theft and causing grievous hurt. -- ST FILE PHOTO: WANG HUI FENG
A man was sentenced to six years' corrective training and six strokes of the cane on Wednesday for multiple offences including theft and causing grievous hurt. -- ST FILE PHOTO: WANG HUI FENG

A man was sentenced to six years' corrective training and six strokes of the cane on Wednesday for multiple offences including theft and causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. Muhammad Kassim Ramdi, 29, admitted to seven of the 14 charges he faced.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue told the court last month that Kassim stole Ms Valerie Tay Pei Yee's unattended backpack at her pushcart at Raffles Xchange mall on April 9 and handed it to his girlfriend, Norliza Roslan, 26.

The couple then proceeded to Mustafa Centre where they deceived the store into believing that Norliza was the rightful owner of the credit card which was used to buy mobile phones and a bracelet totalling about $3,500. They then went to Geylang where Kassim sold the two iPhones and threw away the stolen credit card. Norlinda was sentenced to 13 months in August for her role in the crime.

On April 15, Kassim went to a petrol kiosk at Redhill Close to enquire about a car washing job but was told there was no vacancy. When he left, two car washers realised their cellphones were missing and suspected Kassim was the culprit.

When Kassim turned up six days later to again ask for a job, 17-year-old Nicholas Teo Choon Kiat confronted him about the suspected mobile phone theft but Kassim denied it and challenged the teen to a fight.

Kassim left and went to his sister's flat nearby. He took a kitchen knife and later returned to the kiosk to "get even'' with the victim. He slashed Mr Teo on the left side of his face at the park behind the kiosk. Kassim was detained by the victim and a passer-by when he tried to escape.

He was also dealt with for a drug-related offence and theft of $130 from a stallholder which was committed while he was out on court bail.

He has convictions for drugs, theft, robbery, using abusive and insulting words, forged identity card and fraudulent possession.

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