Serial thief admits to drugging elderly women at polyclinics to steal from them
SINGAPORE: A serial thief admitted to drugging elderly women in order to steal from them, in some of the cases tricking the victims at polyclinics.
Oh Koon Shin, 59, pleaded guilty on Monday (Jul 13) to six charges of theft and causing women to take stupefying drugs, with several other charges taken into consideration for sentencing.
Two of the three women mentioned in court documents had gone to visit polyclinics when Oh targeted them.
READ: Man accused of drugging woman at polyclinic charged with drugging two others to steal from them
The first woman, 73-year-old bus attendant Ang Poh Choo, was at Queenstown Polyclinic for a medical check-up at about 9am on Sep 6 last year.
While she was waiting for her prescription and medication, she talked to her friends about her neck pain.
Her conversation was overheard by Oh, who was at the polyclinic even though he had no appointments there.
He saw a jade pendant Madam Ang was wearing and decided to target her. He approached her when she was alone and offered her a drug called zopiclone, convincing her that it would ease her neck pain.
Zopiclone is a hypnotic drug used for short-term treatment of insomnia. Common reported side effects include sleepiness and a dry mouth.
Believing Oh, Mdm Ang took the drug. She became light-headed and Oh took her out of the polyclinic. He stole S$400 from her, along with her gold necklace with the jade pendant valued at S$6,000, two gold rings and several cards including her Pioneer Generation EZ-Link card.
When he saw that Mdm Ang was feeling drowsy, Oh asked a passer-by to help call an ambulance, and the elderly woman was taken to hospital. She realised there that her belongings were missing, but hospital staff told her that she had been taken to the hospital without any personal property.
Mdm Ang lodged a police report, and her granddaughter told the police that she saw Oh outside the family's flat a day after the incident with a bunch of keys. However, he could not find a key to match the door.
Mdm Ang's jade pendant was later recovered from Oh.
PREYED ON SECOND WOMAN WHEN HE SAW HER CASH
The second woman, 71-year-old hawker stall owner Ng Phek Huay, also went to Queenstown Polyclinic for a medical check-up. She waited for the polyclinic to open from 7am on Sep 9, 2019.
Oh saw her waiting outside the clinic and saw a stack of cash in her handbag when she took out her handphone.
When the polyclinic opened, Oh followed Madam Ng inside. He took her money when she was not looking and decided to give her some of his medication so that she would not notice that her money was gone.
He offered her zopiclone and convinced her that she had to take it before her check-up. Thinking that Oh was a polyclinic employee, Mdm Ng took the drug and became drowsy.
Oh took the woman's bracelet when she was feeling faint and took her out of the polyclinic.
Noticing that she was losing consciousness, he flagged a taxi for her to a hospital.
Mdm Ng's son lodged a police report the next day as S$2,500 had been stolen from her.
Cash of S$2,000 and the bracelet were later recovered from Oh.
Oh approached another victim, 72-year-old retiree Ong Kay Ee, on Jul 6, 2019.
Oh told her that he had some medication for her leg pain, and obtained her address from her.
He visited her at her flat three days later when no one else was home. He offered her zopiclone, convincing her that it would ease her leg pain.
Believing him, Madam Ong took it but grew dizzy and tired, falling asleep on the sofa in the living room.
Oh then ransacked the drawers in the house, taking S$1,000, 800 yuan, a bracelet worth S$6,000, rings and earrings worth S$1,000 and a necklace with a pendant worth S$2,000.
Mdm Ong woke up only six hours later. Her daughter discovered the missing valuables and called the police, saying that her mother was in a daze and unsure what had happened to her. The pendant was later recovered.
One of the victims' granddaughters posted on Facebook saying that her grandmother was drugged and robbed at a polyclinic, and the post went viral.
Oh was later arrested and remanded.
A SERIAL THIEF PREYING ON ELDERLY WOMEN: PROSECUTOR
The prosecution called him a serial thief who preys on elderly women and urged the court to call for a report to assess his suitability for corrective training.
Corrective training is a separate regime from imprisonment, usually imposed on repeat offenders. There is no early release for corrective training.
Oh has a string of previous convictions including for similar offences of causing his victims to take stupefying drugs.
Two of these previous convictions involved identical modus operandi to that in the present case, said the prosecutor.
Despite numerous and relatively lengthy incarcerations, such as being imprisoned for two years for his 2013 drugging offences, Oh "continues his errant ways", said the prosecution.
He also reoffended very shortly after being released from prison for his previous offences, she said, adding that it is necessary and appropriate to sentence Oh to corrective training.
The judge called for the corrective training report and adjourned sentencing to Aug 7.
The penalties for drugging someone to commit theft are a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine or caning. Oh cannot be caned as he is above 50.
For each count of theft, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.