S Korean student gets 6 weeks’ jail for casino theft

SINGAPORE — A South Korean student studying here was jailed today (Sept 17) for six weeks after he went on a “stealing spree” of casino chips on more than 200 occasions at Marina Bay Sands.

You Hyeon Ho, 22, pleaded guilty to 27 counts of stealing casino chips, while another 245 charges were taken into consideration. In all, he stole S$6,300 worth of chips in October last year.

A district court heard that You, a third-year economics undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, had committed several counts of theft and attempted theft at the “Sic-Bo” tables at the casino between Oct 1 and Oct 22.

He had either dishonestly shifted other patrons’ wagers or removed their wagers from the betting boxes before the result of the game.

You was arrested on Oct 22 after he shifted a S$5 cash chip belonging to a male patron, causing the latter to lose.

In his mitigation plea, You’s lawyer Jonathan Wong said the offences his client had committed were “completely out of character”.

He pointed out that You had an exemplary academic track record in “reputable and esteemed institutions”, such as Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

Mr Wong said You was suffering from depression, which resulted in “cognitive distortions and errors of judgment”. He added that You was also facing an enormous amount of stress and emotional instability following his father’s bankruptcy last year. His parents returned to South Korea, leaving You and his younger brother in Singapore.

However, deputy public prosecutor Francis Zhang pointed out that “no causal link” was established between You’s condition and his offences.

While District Judge Lim Tse Haw said he took into consideration that this was You’s first conviction and his good academic track record, he could not ignore the aggravating factors where You had gone on a “stealing spree” in the casino.