Jun 24, 2011 - Straits Times
Deemed suitable for corrective training, he wants to engage lawyer to seek lighter sentence
By
Khushwant Singh
HE DID not have a lawyer during his five-day trial, but yesterday,
Mohd Haslam Ismail wanted to hire one after learning that he had been
deemed suitable for corrective training and could be jailed up to 15
years.
The 47-year-old jobless man told District Judge Jasbendar
Kaur that he wanted to engage counsel to plead for a lighter sentence,
and the matter was adjourned till July 14.
He had been found guilty and convicted on June 3 of giving a
spiked drink to a Chinese national and stealing her belongings in
January this year.
He was nabbed in February after he used another person's
identity card to enter the Marina Bay Sands casino. The divorcee has
pleaded guilty to this offence but has not been sentenced.
During the trial last month, the court heard that he had
pretended to be a tourist from Dubai and offered to buy Ms Chen
Xiaorong, 38, a cup of coffee at 1.30am on Jan 13.
She had left her massage parlour in Lucky Plaza to smoke a
cigarette. She testified that he came across as a gentleman, but she was
'in a daze' after the drink at The Heeren. She woke up in a hotel room
in Geylang and realised she was missing $350 cash, a $3,600 Rolex watch
and a $200 cellphone.
