Friend's cat-sitting duty becomes S$8K theft spree in Yishun flat

A 44-year-old woman entrusted with spare keys to feed her friend's cats in a Yishun flat used the access to steal more than S$6,000 worth of jewellery in October 2017. Mandee Hameed entered the master bedroom of her six-year friend Siti Noridayu Mohamed Normaya's home while she was holidaying in Bangkok, opening a drawer and taking two boxes containing gold bangles, a bracelet and a gold chain with pendant. She deliberately split the haul across two pawnshops in Northpoint and Sembawang—pawning items for S$2,180 and S$970 respectively—to avoid suspicion of high-value theft.

When returning the keys, Mandee had already duplicated them with intent to return. In December, months after the first theft, Siti Noridayu noticed missing items and installed CCTV cameras. In January, after being told her friend would be away, Mandee used the duplicate keys to enter again, stealing S$15 cash and four designer bags—a Burberry, two Kate Spade, and a Miu Miu—valued at S$2,300. She discarded the keys after leaving.

Siti Noridayu discovered the second theft that night via CCTV footage showing Mandee entering the flat and immediately filed a police report. Mandee pleaded guilty to one charge of housebreaking and theft and one charge of theft-in-dwelling, with a third charge taken into consideration. The District Court sentenced her to 18 months' jail on 13 September 2018, with the prosecution noting her "grave abuse of trust" and "high degree of premeditation" in duplicating keys months before the second offence.

• 13 Sept 2018channelnewsasia.com