SINGAPORE — A man who tried and failed to steal a bra from a pole hanging on the second floor of a housing block in Yishun was jailed for one month on Wednesday (21 August).

Ong Meng Xiang, 31, had tried to dislodge the bra with his umbrella from the ground floor. However his umbrella got caught in a clothes peg, and he was spotted by police officers before he could remove his umbrella.

Ong pleaded guilty to one count of attempted theft and a separate charge of possessing 220 obscene films. Another count of possessing 296 obscene films was taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Intention to steal bras in the wee hours

The bra owner, a 39-year-old woman, had hung her laundry out to dry at her second floor unit in a block at Yishun Street 72, at about midnight on 7 September last year.

At about 3.15am, Ong left his home carrying a blue umbrella, intending to steal bras from units nearby. He chanced upon the woman’s block and noticed her black bra, which was worth $100.

He tried to dislodge the bra from the ground floor but was caught by police officers after his umbrella got stuck in the clothes peg at about 4.35am.

He subsequently admitted to his attempt to steal the bra in his statements to the police.

Loitering around housing units

Earlier this year, Ong was also spotted behaving suspiciously by another female resident at Yishun Street 22.

The woman was returning home with her husband on 24 April when they spotted Ong loitering at the level five corridor outside their neighbour’s unit, looking at the clothes hung on a bamboo pole.

The woman asked Ong what he was doing, but Ong replied that he was just walking around for fresh air. Feeling suspicious, the woman called the police, stating that Ong was “loitering at her corridor” at about 2.40am.

Two police officers arrived and checked Ong’s belongings. They discovered 536 pornographic videos and 233 photos of women wearing undergarments in Ong’s mobile phone.

Ong admitted possessing the films for his own viewing pleasure. He also revealed that he downloaded the 233 photos from Facebook as he found the women attractive. He was then arrested.

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