Probation for youth involved in string of thefts, including stealing from mosque's donation box

SINGAPORE — A teenager, who carried out a string of thefts that include pilfering from a mosque’s donation box and stealing two e-bikes, was ordered to undergo 18 months of supervised probation on Wednesday (May 10).  

The 16-year-old will also have to perform 80 hours of community service and, if necessary, attend counselling, therapy, or psychological assessment or treatment alongside his father and stepmother.

Supervised probation is generally imposed on offenders aged under 21 where it is considered appropriate by the sentencing judge.

It allows the offender to remain in society subject to probation conditions such as curfews.

He had pleaded guilty on March 29 to three charges related to theft and a single charge for house-breaking.

Nine other charges — related to theft, misappropriation, trespassing, and mischief — were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

When a charge is taken into consideration, it means that the accused admits to committing the offence stated without being legally convicted of it.

The teenager cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act, which bans the publication of the identities of young offenders under age 18.

WHAT HAPPENED

Court documents, which identified the teenager as A1, stated that the offence took place at Masjid Kampong Delta, located along Delta Avenue in the early hours of June 13 last year. 

Emboldened by two consecutive days of successfully stealing from the mosque over the weekend, A1 and CA1 — another teenage boy, currently aged 17 — decided to sneak into the place of worship for the third night in a row.

Armed with a spanner and screwdriver, they climbed over the compound wall at around 3.30am and went to the second level of the premise where they unsuccessfully attempted to pry open donation boxes.

They eventually found a donation box near the rear of the mosque on the ground floor, which was chained to the wall.

After failing to pry this box open, they broke it free from its chains and threw it over the wall before leaving the vicinity with it.

They eventually managed to break the box’s lock at a nearby carpark and split the contents of S$74. 

According to court documents, the teens stole a total of around S$274 over three nights.

A volunteer from the mosque only discovered the mosque had been broken into later that morning, and a police report was lodged around 10.30am by the mosque’s manager.

The manager told the police that the mosque was closed over the weekend of June 11-12 and they had “no suspect in mind”.

Around the same time the police report was made, another was made by a mutual friend of the teens regarding the loss of his e-bike, which was worth S$1,000.

Investigations found that after breaking into the mosque on June 13, A1 told CA1 that he wanted to steal the e-bike, as A1 knew their mutual friend would park it along the corridor outside his home.

At about 7.20am, A1 stole the e-bike while CA1 kept a lookout and rode it to the latter’s house where they sprayed painted it black to conceal its original colour.

The e-bike was never recovered from the duo, as they claimed to have abandoned it.

In any case, court documents stated that they stole another e-bike, worth around S$1,240, on May 24 last year from a 64-year-old man.

CA1 sold it on e-commerce platform Carousell for S$110.

While the police were eventually able to trace down the unsuspecting buyer, he had already stripped the e-bike to its frame. The police seized the frame. 

The police were eventually able to trace A1 down and arrest him on June 15, shortly after the mosque break-ins. 

No restitution has been made by the teen. 

COURT WILLING TO GIVE TEEN A CHANCE: JUDGE

On Wednesday, before District Judge Carol Ling gave her judgement, she asked A1 what he thought about a report that stated that he was suitable to be placed on probation.

To this, the youth said he was not sure, but acknowledged that the courts have been “giving (him) a chance for so long” and that he would like it to be his last.

The judge then asked if he was able to comply with the terms of being placed on probation, or would prefer to be put on reformative training instead.

Reformative training is a regimented rehabilitation programme for offenders under 21 who commit relatively serious crimes.

The youth said he could comply with the terms of probation and the judge called for his father and stepmother to stand before her.

“The court is willing to give him a chance. And so is the prosecution…But of course, as (A1) said, everybody has given (him) many chances,” said District Judge Ling, before turning to the youth.

“But whether you actually take it, and make it good, that is really in your own good hands…you’re a grown person with full mental capacity.”

After announcing that she would place A1 on probation, she said that his father and stepmother will have to post a bond of S$5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.

“(Your parents) are here to signal to you that they are willing to walk the rest of the way with you, but whether you want to walk with them, that is up to you,” said District Judge Ling.

It is not clear if CA1 has been sentenced by the courts yet and TODAY has sought clarification with the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Anyone found guilty of theft can be jailed up to three years, or fined, or both.

Anyone found guilty of house-breaking can be jailed up to 10 years, and also liable to a fine.