Recalcitrant robber admits to robbing 21-year-old woman of gold chains, wallet
SINGAPORE — The 21-year-old woman was sleeping at the loading and unloading bay of HDB Hub, where she worked as a cleaner.
Brandishing a kitchen knife, 61-year-old Mohammad Kassim Hussein woke her up and demanded that she surrender the five gold rings she was wearing.
When Ms Thanusha Palaniandy refused, he threatened to cut her fingers off.
Eventually, he made off with her gold chain and wallet.
On Thursday (Dec 20), Kassim pleaded guilty to one count of theft and another of armed robbery — the latest in a string of offences that he had committed since 1973.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Lim, called for a preventive detention report. Preventive detention, which ranges from seven to 20 years, is only imposed on recalcitrant offenders whom the court believes should be locked away to protect the public from them.
Sentencing has been adjourned to Jan 10 next year.
The offences, which took place in the wee hours of Aug 12 this year, also involved Kassim’s accomplice, one Shanmugam Koval, 40.
Shanmugam, who knew Kassim when they worked together before, is still at large, and a police gazette has been issued against him.
The court was told that Shanmugam, a Malaysian, had befriended Ms Thanusha as they were both working as cleaners at the HDB Hub and had entered into a relationship with her.
Ms Thanusha, who at the time was homeless, slept at the Basement 3 loading/unloading bay of the HDB Hub.
Some time in July this year, she reported Shanmugam to the police for the alleged theft of her money. He lost his job as a result and became unhappy at her.
THE ROBBERY
The court heard that Shanmugam suggested to Kassim, who was unemployed, two weeks before Aug 12 that he should steal money and gold chains from Ms Thanusha, and split the loot with him.
Shanmugam showed the older man where Ms Thanusha usually slept and the route he should take to avoid close-circuit television detection.
On Aug 11, at around 11pm, both men met at the basement carpark, Kassim bringing with him a kitchen knife.
About two hours later, they went to where Ms Thanusha slept and Kassim stole her mobile phone.
Shanmugam, however, did not want the mobile phone but her gold chains.
About an hour later, at around 2am on Aug 12, Kassim returned to where the woman slept and tried to wake her up.
Ms Thanusha awoke and saw Kassim bent in front of her, brandishing the kitchen knife.
He then yanked the two gold chains she was wearing, causing them to break.
In the struggle, Ms Thanusha’s wallet fell out of her bra and Kassim took it.
He then demanded her gold rings and threatened her, but she did not yield. Ms Thanusha kicked him at his abdomen area and fled, before seeking help from a security officer.
In total, Kassim made off with loot worth nearly S$4,000.
The court heard that after the robbery, he went to trade in the two broken gold chains for two new chains and paid the difference with the money from the woman’s wallet.
On Aug 13, Kassim was arrested at Toa Payoh Central.
‘BEYOND REDEMPTION’
Urging the court to impose preventive detention of more than 14 years, DPP Lim said Kassim was “beyond redemption” and had to be “taken out of circulation for a substantial time”.
Kassim had a litany of past offences — including armed robbery, theft and violence.
“He is unable to remain crime-free for a substantial time,” the prosecutor noted.
The armed robbery, he added, showed high levels of premeditation, as it was “targeted at a specific victim”.
“It occurred in the dead of night… (and) caused the victim considerable fright,” DPP Lim added.
Kassim, who had no lawyer, told the court through a Malay interpreter that he hoped for a lighter sentence.
