Netizens Sympathise With Unemployed Father Who Stole RM3,000 Worth Of Toys For His Kids
He was caught stealing by the outlets' store managers on two occasions.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 03 Apr 2019, 12:25 PM
On 1 April, a 36-year-old man in Singapore admitted to stealing more than SGD1,000 (RM3,013) worth of toys from Toys 'R' Us for his children
Kwok Woei Jie pleaded guilty in court to three charges of theft, with a fourth charge taken into consideration, Channel NewsAsia reported.
"I admit to what I've done. I did not intend to sell them for cash," he explained.
On 9 January, Kwok stole toys including a NERF toy gun, a Lego set, and Monopoly Cash Grab sets from a Toys 'R' Us store at Waterway Point
He returned to the same store on 21 January, where he placed three toys worth SGD300 (RM904) into a plastic bag and attempted to leave without paying.
The store manager, who had been observing him, detained him outside and escorted him back to the store.
After retrieving the items and calling the police, the manager realised that he recognised Kwok from previous visits to the store. Upon checking CCTV footage, he confirmed that Kwok had stolen items from the outlet a few weeks prior.
Despite his failed attempt, the man attempted to steal from a different Toys 'R' Us at City Square mall just four days later
He took four toys worth about SGD100 (RM301) and concealed them in his pockets, while paying for two bottled drinks.
However, the store manager at this outlet recognised the man from photos sent to a group chat for the various Toys 'R' Us outlets in Singapore.
She managed to detain him and recover the stolen toys.
In court, Kwok explained that he was unemployed at the time and stole the toys for his two children, who are in Primary 1 and Primary 3
He told the court that he now makes a living from being a midnight deliveryman, while his wife is a housewife, Coconuts Singapore reported.
He will return to court for mitigation and sentencing on Friday, 5 April.
For each count of theft in dwelling, he may be jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Many netizens took to social media to show sympathy towards the man, and hoped that he would be given a more lenient sentence due to his reasoning
However, several Facebook users pointed out that Kwok did not have to steal expensive toys, and that theft is a crime regardless of the circumstance.
