A man infamously known as the “crawling thief” for sneaking through HDB corridors at night to steal shoes has been arrested again, less than two weeks after completing an eight-year sentence.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the man is 49-year-old Lim Jinwei (transliteration). He was caught on CCTV crawling through corridors in the middle of the night, attempting to steal footwear and clothing left outside flats. On Tuesday (September 30), he pleaded guilty to three counts of theft.
Court records showed that Lim had just been released from prison on August 15.
After checking into a hotel in Geylang, he went to Yishun to search for a rental unit. While wandering around, he reverted to his old habits and stole a black jacket left hanging outside.
Six days later, Lim tried to steal again but was confronted by the homeowner. Police were called, but since nothing was found on him at that time, he was not arrested.
Upset at being questioned so harshly, Lim returned on August 25 to the same unit and tried to steal a pair of black slippers worth $250.
In court, CCTV footage was played showing three separate incidents. In two videos, Lim could be seen taking a black jacket from a corridor clothes rack. In another, he was caught crawling on the floor, standing up to loiter, and picking up a pair of slippers before putting them back.
Police eventually tracked him down through the footage and arrested him on August 28. He was charged two days later and remanded to the Institute of Mental Health for checks.
The court also heard that Lim’s criminal history stretched back decades. In 1993, he was sent to a reformative training centre. Later, he served five years of corrective training. In 2017, he was jailed for eight years under preventive detention for three theft charges and one count of unlawful entry.
Prosecutors stressed his repeated offences and asked the judge to impose at least seven years of preventive detention.
Lim, however, asked for leniency. He told the court that he had already returned the stolen jacket and compensated the victims. He also claimed to suffer from antisocial personality disorder, and pleaded for a chance to reform without preventive detention.
The judge has called for a preventive detention report, and sentencing will be delivered on November 5.
