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Man jailed and caned for robbing taxi driver

Lew Wei Keong pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at the State Courts on Tuesday (30 May).
Lew Wei Keong pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at the State Courts on Tuesday (30 May).

In the early hours of 29 November last year, 64-year-old taxi driver Low Larp Chow picked up a passenger who instructed him to go to Bishan Stadium.

Unbeknown to Low, his passenger, 21-year-old Lew Wei Keong, boarded the taxi with the intention of robbing him. When Low reached Bishan Stadium, Lew used his left hand to grab Low’s neck from the back seat and placed a knife on the neck.

Lew, who pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, was sentenced to three years and three months in jail, and given 12 strokes of the cane in the State Courts on Tuesday (30 May).

The court heard that Lew, who was unemployed, warned Low not to struggle and demanded that his victim surrender his cash and mobile phone to him. Fearing for his life, Low complied with Lew’s demands and handed over $80 and a white Samsung Note 4 mobile phone worth $300 to Lew.

After receiving the cash and mobile phone, Lew ran away from the stadium. He threw away the phone’s SIM card and sold the device to a mobile phone shop in Bishan for $150.

Another similar robbery charge against Lew, who was arrested on 30 December 2016, was taken into consideration.

Pressing for a jail term of at least three years, Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulhafni Zulkeflee pointed out Lew had planned the robbery as he had brought a knife with him while travelling in the taxi.

Lew, who was represented by lawyer Ariel Lim, pleaded for a light sentence, saying that he was remorseful for his actions and promised to change once he is out of prison.

In passing sentence, District Judge Lim Tse Haw said that he took into consideration that Lew was young and had no previous criminal record. However, he agreed with the prosecution that a stiff sentence should be meted out to Lew.

“This is not a simple robbery as a knife was involved. Moreover, there is a need for public transport workers like taxi drivers to be protected,” DJ Lim said.