Grab driver jailed, caned for role in Ang Mo Kio robbery
A Grab driver was jailed for three years yesterday for being the getaway driver in a robbery.
Veeramani Subran Das, 37, was also given six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to abetting the robbery.
His co-accused are M. Jegatheesh, 27, a Gojek driver, and Sharavindran Suppiah, 31, who is unemployed.
The trio met on Aug 13 last year, when Jegatheesh shared the plan to rob Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery in Ang Mo Kio.
He told Veeramani to be the getaway driver and pass the gold to Sharavindran to sell.
Jegatheesh met Veeramani at a carpark in Ang Mo Kio at around 2.40pm the next day.
At 3.50pm, Jegatheesh left and entered the shop at 4.05pm. He shouted at the two elderly co-owners to not move or talk.
They feared for their safety and did not confront Jegatheesh, but they pressed hidden alarm buttons.
Footage from the store's security camera played in court yesterday showed Jegatheesh with a motorcycle helmet on, swiping jewellery from the displays into a duffle bag before fleeing.
He took almost $120,000 worth of jewellery.
At about 4.15pm, he entered Veeramani's car at a nearby carpark and passed the stolen items to him before changing his clothes.
They later left the area in separate cars.
At 6pm, Veeramani passed the stolen items to Sharavindran but kept three pieces of jewellery for himself.
Sharavindran later stashed the stolen items in an abandoned unit in Dakota Crescent when he was unable to sell them.
When the police raided Veeramani's home on Aug 16, he threw the stolen jewellery out the window. The items were recovered by the police.
CRITICAL ROLE
Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran urged the court to jail him for three years with six strokes of the cane, saying Veeramani played a critical role in the brazen and audacious robbery.
In mitigation, Veeramani pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying he was an only child looking after his aged mother and was paying child support for two children.
His accomplices are awaiting trial, which is expected to commence next Tuesday.
For abetting the robbery, Veeramani could have been jailed for up to 10 years. He was given the minimum six strokes of the cane for the offence.
His sentence was backdated to Aug 17 last year, from when he was in remand.
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