SINGAPORE - A former engineer facing eight charges of theft and one of fraudulent possession was found dead at the foot of a block in Sengkang on Monday (May 15) morning, a day before her pre-trial conference for the latest theft spree.

Goh Lee Yin, 36, was accused of committing the offences, ranging from taking a gift bag that cost $6.10 to a Valentino dress that cost more than $10,000, on several occasions in 2015.

Goh, who was charged in court last year (2016), allegedly stole more than $30,000 worth of items, including clothing from brands such as Kenzo, Louis Vuitton and Prada, and even a Breville oven.

It was not the first time she was accused of theft.

In 2005 and 2007, Goh was given probation for shoplifting. She was diagnosed with kleptomania back then.

People suffering from the condition have a recurrent urge to steal, although not for greed.

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Goh was accused of similar offences twice in 2011. She later pleaded guilty to tricking two women into handing over four Hermes handbags worth a total of $97,000.

In response to media queries, a police spokesman said on Wednesday (May 17) that they were alerted to a case of unnatural death on Monday at Block 405B, Fernvale Lane, around 6.50am.

The police said a 36-year-old woman was found motionless at the foot of the block, and she was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. Investigations are ongoing.

On Wednesday, The Straits Times visited Goh’s wake in Buangkok Green where she had lived with her husband and baby girl. Goh became a mother in January last year.

Friends and family members were seen comforting each other and paying their respects at the wake.

At 8.20pm, around 40 people attended a 50-minute Christian service. Goh’s family gathered around her casket at the end of the service.

Those present at the wake asked for privacy and declined comment.

Additional reporting by Elena Chong