Robber who took car by knifepoint gets three years and two weeks’ jail
Indra Haiqal Azman Ali, 27 and unemployed, was sentenced to three years and two weeks’ jail, and 12 strokes of the cane after he pointed a kukri at his victims and robbed them of their car. Reuters file photo
SINGAPORE — A 27-year-old unemployed man who pointed a Kukri knife at his victims, and robbed them of their car, was sentenced to three years and two weeks’ jail, and 12 strokes of the cane, on Tuesday (Dec 5). He was also sentenced to a one-year disqualification period from holding or obtaining any drivers’ licence.
The court heard that at around 1.15am on May 8, Indra Haiqal Azman Ali had accosted the owner of the car, Mr Vikesh Ram Tamil Arasan, 30, and his two friends as they stood smoking at a taxi stand opposite Lakeside MRT station. Brandishing the knife that Gurkha soldiers traditionally use, Indra demanded that the three men hand the car keys over to him. When they failed to respond, he then unsheathed the Kukri knife and pointed it at them. Court documents did not show how Indra got hold of the knife.
Out of fear for their safety, Mr Vikesh handed the keys over, and Indra sped off with the car despite not having a driver’s licence, or valid car insurance. The three men trailed Indra in a taxi after making a police report. He drove the car, a Honda Civic, towards Jurong West Street 24.
“In the course of doing so, (Indra) drove the … motorcar … at a speed ranging between 80-121 km/h,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Amanda Sum. This was above the legal speed limit of 50km/h.
His joyride came a crashing halt when he lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a bend along Jurong West Street 24.
The Honda skidded off the road, went up the pavement, and onto the grass field where it flipped sideways before stopping at the centre of the field.
Police officers later arrived, along with Mr Vikesh and his friends, and they saw Indra sitting on the grass with the badly-damaged car near him. The court heard that Indra had managed to crawl out of the wreckage.
Police officers then arrested him, and sent him to hospital to seek medical treatment as he had sustained rib and spine fractures.
Before he robbed the three men of their car, Indra had also made his way to a void deck minimart located at Jurong West Street 52. The shop was closed as it was around 1am, but he was feeling thirsty and he removed the canvas sheet covering the drinks refrigerator. He then broke the glass panel with his Kukri knife and took two drinks, before he set out to rob the men of their car.
On Tuesday, Indra’s lawyer Ismail Hamid asked for a three-year jail sentence for his client, the minimum for a robbery by night offence.
He said that Indra was a divorcee, had a “high dependency on drugs”, and suffered from stimulant and opioid use disorder.
After he admitted to one count each of robbery by night; driving without a licence, and valid insurance; reckless driving, as well as theft, Indra received a sentence of three years’ and two weeks’ jail, along with 12 strokes of the cane. Another one count of causing mischief was taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.
Indra’s sentence will be backdated to May 9, when he was first remanded. For robbery by night, he could have gotten a jail sentence of between three and 14 years, with at least 12 strokes of the cane.
