Man faces up to 10 years in jail... for allegedly stealing coins

A 52-year-old man who allegedly broke into a Yishun HDB flat and stole coins amounting to about $50 will be charged with housebreaking and theft today (March 23). 

The police said they were alerted to a case of housebreaking at a residential flat along Yishun Avenue 3 on Feb 28 at about 4.10pm. 

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of police cameras, officers from the Woodlands Police Division identified the man and arrested him on March 21.

The offence, under Section 451 of the Penal Code 1871, carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Separately, a construction worker broke into a bakery in Ang Mo Kio MRT station in the early hours of Jan 12, stealing three pieces of bread and cash, reported Yahoo Singapore.

To avoid leaving fingerprints, Vietnamese Dinh Van Hai wore plastic bags over his hands but was arrested later that day. 

He was sentenced to jail for three months on Tuesday (March 22) after pleading guilty to one count of housebreaking.

The 33-year-old, who was facing financial problems, had previously worked at this bakery and knew that shop would leave its backdoor unlocked for a few hours while no one was in.

desmondng@asiaone.com