Woman who used her 7-year-old daughter to help steal handbag jailed
When a woman told her 7-year-old daughter to help her steal a handbag, the child refused.
But the girl relented after being encouraged by her 31-year-old mother, and stole from a victim while her mother distracted the latter.
At the State Courts on Friday (21 December), the mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her daughter, was jailed for a total of 17 months.
She pleaded guilty to eight charges – three of theft, two of failure to report for urine test and one each of cheating by impersonation, dishonest misappropriation of property and drug consumption.
Another 14 counts of theft, and one charge each of dishonest misappropriation of property and failure to report for urine test were considered in sentencing.
On 16 September last year, the woman went to a shop at Lucky Plaza to enquire about items on sale. While the victim was distracted, the girl stole her handbag, worth $20. It was unclear if the victim was a staff member of the shop or a customer.
The handbag contained a black purse worth $100 and $350 in cash, among other things. The theft was captured on CCTV and the victim called the police when she realised the crime shortly after.
On the same day, prior to the handbag theft, the woman also stole a mobile phone from another victim at Mothercare, a retail store for young children and their parents.
The victim had placed her phone worth $800 in her handbag, which was hung behind her baby pram. While the victim was distracted, the thief stole the phone.
On 5 September last year, she also stole a wallet with a debit card in it from another victim. She charged a $109 watch to the card, signing on the charge slip at a shop and pretending to be the card owner.
On 11 November last year, while out with her daughter, the girl complained that she was hungry. But the woman did not have any money as she was facing financial woes.
They walked past a shop at Boon Lay Shopping Centre, which was left unattended. The woman entered the place, took a wallet that had $400 in cash and left.
On 19 June this year, while at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall, the woman saw a wallet on the floor next to a baby pram. She pocketed the $650 in cash inside, then returned the wallet to the person with the pram, who later made a police report.
She also failed to undergo compulsory urine tests on two occasions in September this year, having been placed on compulsory supervision for two years in September 2016.
After her arrest on 4 November, the woman’s urine tested positive for methamphetamine. She admitted taking the drug while on court bail for her earlier crimes.
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