Jail and fine for Aliff Aziz for theft and disorderly behaviour
Actor-singer Aliff Aziz was sentenced yesterday to two weeks' jail and a fine of $500 for theft and an unrelated charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in public.
The 29-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to the offences on Aug 7.
This was not his first brush with the law. In 2014, he was fined $2,000 for stealing two mobile phones.
Yesterday, Principal District Judge Victor Yeo noted that an Institute of Mental Health (IMH) psychiatrist had earlier found Aliff had an adjustment disorder. The psychiatrist had, however, stated it had no bearing on Aliff's offending behaviour.
Judge Yeo also noted that Aliff was a repeat offender.
On June 7 last year, Aliff met Indonesian actress Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri, 32, in her room at Studio M hotel in Nanson Road near Havelock Road around midnight to discuss how she could help further his singing career in her home country.
When she went to rest at an upper level of her room, he opened her handbag and stole $300 and one million rupiah (S$92) in cash.
Noticing her money was missing after she woke up about two hours later, she phoned Aliff who denied stealing from her.
She alerted the police later that day. Aliff has since made full restitution.
Aliff was also found to be intoxicated outside Orchard Towers shopping centre around 5.30am on Nov 10 last year.
A police officer, Sergeant Theodore Lee, 24, who observed Aliff shouting loudly, told him to calm down. Aliff complied before walking away. But an hour later, he walked towards a nearby taxi and kicked its bumper. No damage was caused.
He got into a scuffle with an acquaintance later that morning near Orchard Towers and was arrested.
Aliff rose to fame in 2007 after winning Anugerah, the Malay TV channel Suria's version of Singapore Idol.
The defence lawyer, Senior Counsel Murali Pillai, said his client had sought treatment at various places, including IMH, from 2014 to last year. - SHAFFIQ ALKHATIB
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