20-year-old pleads guilty to ‘heinous’ robbery in Punggol

SINGAPORE — She thought the young man behind her at the lift lobby was a neighbour.

He entered the lift with her and followed her out when she alighted at her floor.

As she was talking on the phone, he punched her right eye from behind and choked and punched her multiple times while pulling her handbag.

He ordered her to let go of it but the 53-year-old victim refused. She fell to her knees, screaming, and grabbed the man’s groin in self-defence.

He let go of her and stepped back.

When she took a foldable umbrella out of her handbag and tried to hit him, he threw it aside. She tried to retrieve it but he kicked her. He then grabbed her keys and fled.

A neighbour heard the woman’s cries and called the police, who nabbed the robber at Block 428 Yishun Avenue 11 that evening.

On Tuesday (April 9), Rishi Christopher, 20, pleaded guilty to five charges including criminal breach of trust, robbery with hurt, theft in dwelling and possession of controlled drugs. Seven other charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing on April 30.

The court heard that on October 18 last year, Rishi was in Punggol when he decided to steal a vehicle. He dropped the idea after surveying several multi-storey carparks and realising it was too difficult.

Rishi came up with other plans. He took a bike glove from a motorcycle, put it on to avoid leaving fingerprints and went to a clothing store called Yishion at Waterway Point mall.

In the fitting room, he changed into a black T-shirt, black jogger pants and black shoes worth a total of S$120.70 before walking out when the employees were distracted by other duties.

As he was resting at a block nearby, he spotted the woman walking past and decided to target her as there were few other people present.

The attack left the victim, who cannot be named to protect her identity, with multiple fractures and bruises on her face.  She had to undergo facial surgery and was hospitalised for six days.

She also went for psychotherapy to manage the distress from the incident.

On Tuesday, District Judge Eddy Tham said the robbery was “heinous” and told Rishi: “You have caused immense pain and psychological trauma to the victim.”

The court also heard that the day before the robbery, Rishi stole an e-scooter from Chin Hong Heng bicycle shop in Yishun.

The previous month, he was arrested for possessing a psychoactive drug called “mushroom” while at Braddell MRT station.