Man charged over minimart robbery attempt while armed with knife, wearing a dress
A man was wearing a dress when he allegedly attempted to rob a minimart while armed with a knife, but took off empty-handed when the store clerk shouted for help.
On Monday, Mahmoud Abdeltawwab Riad Abdelhak, 38, was handed one charge of attempting to commit robbery.
His case has been adjourned to July 24.
The police said on Monday that they were alerted to the case of attempted robbery at a minimart in Lorong 1 Toa Payoh on Saturday at around 8.10am.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that Mahmoud was wearing a dress when he allegedly tried to rob the victim, who was manning the minimart alone.
He left the store when the victim shouted for help.
Through ground inquiries and with the aid of footage from police cameras and CCTV, officers from Tanglin Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him within five hours of the report.
A black long-sleeved dress, headscarves and arm sleeves were seized.
“We will spare no effort to arrest those who commit violent crimes. When confronted with a robbery, members of the public are advised to remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call the police as soon as possible,” said the police.
Those convicted of attempted robbery may face a jail term of between two and seven years, and at least six strokes of the cane.
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