Shoplifting arrest- Please advice

[sunny6634]

Hi I am an Indian national in Singapore from past 3 weeks for total 2 months stay, I was arrested for shop lifting offense (total 3 charges total amounting to around sgd 450) on Wednesday (7th August) night, currently I am released on bail. I have court hearing on coming Monday i.e. 12 Aug.

I am ready to pay the fines on Monday itself and want to get out of the case as soon as possible.
The investigating officer is saying he will seek an extension and ask for next hearing and in the meanwhile he will try to going to chambers/legal council and get fine reduced to only 1 charge out of 3.

Could you please advice how can I plead guilty on 1st hearing and what can be the possible outcomes/consequences?
Looking for urgent replies..

[sundaymorningstaple]

I reckon you will get fined, free room & board for a while and then deported from the country once your free room & board is used up. Frankly, serves you right.

[PNGMK]

If there are mitigating circumstances or a possibility that a mistake was made engage legal counsel. IF not then plead guilty (fighting a charge in Singapore just gets the magistrate pissed off unless there is clear evidence of a mistake or some reason for a reduced sentence).

[sunny6634]

Guys I have admitted my mistake and confronted with the investigating officer. This was my 1st and last crime. All I want is to pay the fine and get free. I just dont want to go to jail again.

[sunny6634]

what are the chances of getting free with only paying the fine?
and how much can be the fine looking at the shoplifting of SGD 450?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Is that for one offence or all three offences?

Offence against property (Singapore)

This site is dedicated to issues in criminal law in Singapore, with brief write outs on various common offences and their respective prevailing sentencing, as well as the procedure of the criminal process in Singapore. The site is managed by a Singapore law firm.

This category of offences include simple theft, shoplifting, cheating etc.


Simple Theft

This is a section 379 offence. This type of offence usually carries a fine, especially if the item is small and restitution has been made for a first offender. Other factors include the circumstances of how and why the offence was committed, whether it involved multiple items or otherwise.

For repeat offender, a custodial sentence is appropriate, although the Courts have also imposed a fine for second time offender under special circumstances. The defence counsel would have to reconstruct the events that happened to determine whether the said act of appropriation has been committed and the intention of the person when the act was committed.

An act of taking the item out of the complainant's possession without an intent to steal is not theft.

In either case, you would be deported from the country and probably banned from returning.

http://www.criminallaw.sg/propertycrime.htm

[sunny6634]

It was a first time offense, the total of 3 charges amounts to approx SGD 450.

Is it sure that I will be deported?

[x9200]

Nobody knows. You may be just fined, or jailed or both. IMO it is very very likely you will be deported from Singapore and banned to enter for some good years.

[x9200]

Is it sure that I will be deported?

If I recall correctly there was a girl posting here some time ago caught steeling $50, deported and banned.

[therat]

What section you will be charge under?

If under Section 380 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. Any person convicted of this offence can be jailed for up to seven years and be liable to a fine.

[x9200]

They charge for shoplifting under both sections. It differs only by the jail term extent (as of the Penal Code) and he will not be charged the maximum penalty for sure so no point.

[BedokAmerican]

I'm no expert in Sg law ... and maybe I'm out of line and off topic by asking this ... but what did you steal and why?

If you don't want to be specific, fine. But was it something you desperately needed, such as food (although it would be hard to steal $450 worth of food)? Or was it something you just wanted?

If it's the latter, one also has to wonder if this is the first time you stole something or the first time you got caught.

Regardless, it sounds like you're in a tough situation. You might consider yourself lucky if the only thing they do is deport you.

[bloodhound123]

$450 doesn't sound like a petty theft. Unless you prove that the shoplifting was not intended ( doesnt sound like one given your statements ) or under mitigating cirumstances, you would get a custodial sentence and most probably a deportation after that.

Guys I have admitted my mistake and confronted with the investigating officer. This was my 1st and last crime. All I want is to pay the fine and get free. I just dont want to go to jail again.

This sounds paradoxical. Have you already been sent to jail in some other country? If so how would this count as your first crime?

[Wd40]

Why choose Singapore for stealing man, of all the countries? Its so clearly displayed everywhere, especially in Mustafa, in the toilets that jail term is upto 7yrs for theft. I have also heard of a few cases, in mustafa, where the people inadvertently put items that were not billed, into their shopping baskets and while going out the security guard caught and without any further discussions they just call the cops.

You seem like a tourist and not a resident so I guess, for you deportation shouldn't be such a hard thing. Just pray that you are not jailed or something.

[Wd40]

$450 doesn't sound like a petty theft. Unless you prove that the shoplifting was not intended ( doesnt sound like one given your statements ) or under mitigating cirumstances, you would get a custodial sentence and most probably a deportation after that.

Guys I have admitted my mistake and confronted with the investigating officer. This was my 1st and last crime. All I want is to pay the fine and get free. I just dont want to go to jail again.

This sounds paradoxical. Have you already been sent to jail in some other country? If so how would this count as your first crime?

He has already said that he was arrested and then released on bail. I guess arrested means sent to lockup = jail