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Man who left girlfriend behind in Bangkok just to steal her Rolex watch in Singapore jailed

Close-up. Arrested man handcuffed hands at the back isolated on gray background. Prisoner or arrested terrorist, close-up of hands in handcuffs.
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SINGAPORE — While on holiday in Bangkok, an unemployed man lied to his girlfriend that he needed to return to Singapore urgently as his aunt had been hospitalised.

But Ivan Lee Yu Guang’s real intention was to break into his girlfriend’s flat in Singapore to steal her Rolex watch. He then pawned the watch to pay off his gambling debts.

Lee, 26, was jailed 15 months on Tuesday (3 September) on one count of housebreaking to commit theft and one count of theft. The latter offence was committed in the same flat four days earlier.

On 6 March last year, while Lee was at his girlfriend’s flat, he searched the house while she was sleeping.

He found a Rolex watch belonging to his girlfriend’s sister and stole it. The watch was worth $8,788. He then pawned the watch at ValueMax at Sengkang Square for $5,000. He kept $500 for his own use and used the remaining sum to pay off gambling debts.

The next day, the couple left the flat to catch a flight to Bangkok. Lee locked the gate and door but failed to return the keys to his girlfriend.

On 10 March, while in the Thai capital, Lee told his girlfriend about his aunt’s hospitalisation at around 6am. The girlfriend helped him buy a last-minute flight ticket home.

Lee landed in Singapore at 10.30am that day and immediately went to the flat and opened it with the keys. He went to the girlfriend’s bedroom and stole her Rolex watch worth $5,588.

Lee then pawned the watch for $2,550 at Maxi-Cash in Serangoon Central. He used the money to pay gambling debts.

The next day, when the girlfriend returned to Singapore, Lee texted her to claim that the two Rolex watches belonging to her family were stolen by a friend whom he had brought to the flat. Hours later, Lee caught a flight to Bangkok, where he stayed for three and a half months.

When Lee returned to Singapore on 27 June, he was arrested by the police.

For housebreaking to commit theft, Lee could have been jailed up to 10 years. For committing theft, he could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.

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