Woman bursts into tears in court after being sentenced to 11 months and two weeks in prison for stealing jewellery worth over $37,000

SINGAPORE: A female employee of a luxury brand jewellery store stole more than $37,000 worth of earrings and necklaces and resold them online at a lower price to help her family pay off their debts. Sentenced for her crime to 11 months and two weeks in prison, she was seen bursting into tears in court. 

The 34-year-old culprit faced two charges of embezzlement and eventually admitted to one of the charges.

What happened? 

The culprit was working as a salesperson at the luxury jewellery brand, Tiffany & Co., located on Orchard Road. Due to financial problems, she decided to steal jewellery and sell it online. She then met a female buyer on a second-hand jewellery selling platform, and lied, stating that she could use her employee benefits to buy jewellery at half the price and resell it. The buyer believed her and wanted to buy a pair of large gold buckle earrings. In the same year, the female employee stole earrings worth $10,600 from the store and sold them for $5,000. The female buyer did not know that the earrings were stolen. 

A few weeks later, the buyer wanted to purchase a gold buckle necklace worth $27,200, and the female employee made a deal for $11,000. The illegal act was caught by surveillance footage, when the employee entered the storeroom to retrieve a necklace and hide it in her coat pocket. 

Additionally, investigations revealed that the female employee used the money that she gained from her illegal sales to repay her family’s debts in Malaysia. 

Theft in Singapore 

In Singapore, a person who commits theft can face a fine or imprisonment for up to three years. If a person committed the crime for the first time, the court might give a community-based sentence. This type of sentence is meant for less serious crimes and those who have never been jailed before. Repeated thefts or more serious cases carry harsher penalties.

Foreigners who commit theft in Singapore can face stricter punishments if they specifically came to the country to commit such a crime. This rule discourages people from visiting Singapore with the sole intention of breaking the law.