Herdsman robs prostitute of day’s proceeds to pay debt
A cattle herder from Malaysia hatched a plan to rob a prostitute in Singapore to repay his debts, a court heard on Thursday.
According to Yahoo News Singapore, Steeven Raj Bernard Clement, 29, robbed a Chinese national at knife-point in June after they had sex at a hotel in Geylang, making off with about $3,465 in valuables.
But he was arrested the next morning at another hotel, after threatening another woman with a knife and an improvised knuckle duster.
At the State Courts on Thursday, Steeven was jailed for three years and three months, along with 12 strokes of the cane.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of night time robbery.
Two other charges for criminal intimidation and possession of dangerous weapons were considered in his sentencing as part of his plea bargain.
Steeven, who was holding a social visit pass, responded to an online advert for sexual services on June 9 and went to Min Wah Hotel in Geylang.
There, he met with a 30-year-old Chinese national holding a special pass at about 10pm.
The victim opened her hotel room door for him and Steeven paid her $100. The couple then had sex.
When the victim was washing up in the toilet, Steeven took out a knife with a 17-cm long blade which he had hidden inside the strap of his backpack.
As the victim was leaving the toilet, Steeven grabbed her arm and pulled her to the bed. He then cut the receiver cord of the hotel telephone and told the victim “money, money” at knife point.
The victim got her bag from the cupboard and took out all the money she had, while Steeven continued to say “money, money.”
She had about $2,000, and several amounts of Bruneian, Malaysian and Chinese currencies.
Steeven took all the money as well as her $1,400 mobile phone. The total value of the stolen items was about $3,465.
He then kept the knife in his bag. Before leaving the room at about 10.40pm, Steeven placed his finger on his lips and told the victim, “shh, shh.”
After he left, the victim locked her room door and called the police using a spare phone.
At about 11.30pm the same day, Steeven also threatened a 32-year-old woman with a knife and an improvised knuckle duster in a room at Park Hotel Farrer Park.
Police managed to track him down and arrested him in the hotel the next morning. They found the stolen items as well as the dangerous weapons.
Steeven’s prison sentence was backdated to the date of his remand on 11 June.
Night time robbery is punishable with between three and 14 years’ jail, along with at least 12 strokes of the cane.