Woman pleads guilty to cheating others of branded bags

SINGAPORE: A woman who has a mental disorder and a string of previous theft offences has pleaded guilty to three charges of cheating and one charge of misusing another person’s identity card.

Goh Lee Yin, 31, admitted to cheating three women between September and November last year, of their branded bags worth S$110,700.

She also admitted to unlawfully using another person’s identity card to register for a pre—paid mobile phone card.

Goh was found to have kleptomania in 2007, when she was convicted of theft.

She re—offended twice in 2011.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amardeep Singh proceeded with two cheating charges against Goh, and took the other charges into consideration.

Goh had committed those two offences in October and November last year.

She contacted the women — Ms Cindy Lestari, 21 and Ms Lynette Ong, 35 — who had advertised online to sell their Hermes bags.

Goh cheated Ms Lestari and Ms Ong of bags worth a total of S$97,000.

Goh had emailed them using fake names, and showed them fake bank transfer screen—grabs, which she had saved on her smartphone.

On Tuesday, the court examined reports from various doctors that showed Goh also had a form of impulse control disorder.

Goh’s lawyer, Mr Wendell Wong urged the court to be compassionate, and not to give up on her.

In the mitigation, he said the issue was in deciding on an appropriate sentence for Goh, as sentences must fit the offender.

Mr Wong noted one of Goh’s medical reports, where a doctor said he had not come across a case such as Goh’s, in his "vast experience" as a medical practitioner.

Mr Wong said Goh’s "mental state is exceedingly critical for the court’s consideration".

However, Mr Singh argued that Goh had not made use of her second and third chances to stay crime—free.

He noted that while Goh needed help, there is a need to protect the public.

Mr Singh urged for a jail term, arguing the public will be "vulnerable with such a person left on the streets".

Goh’s case will be heard again on November 23.

— CNA/xq