A MAN who tried to rob the United Overseas Bank while wearing a black head scarf was sentenced to eight years' preventive detention and eight strokes of the cane on Wednesday.
Ismail Shaikh Ahmad, 45, had pleaded guilty earlier to the attempted robbery at the City Plaza bank and taking morphine on Nov 10.
A district court heard that he had walked up to the bank counter that afternoon with a green paper bag.
He took out two pieces of paper and pointing at the bag, told bank teller Ow Soon Hock, 46, that that was a bomb.
He demanded money to be put in the bag within three minutes or he would activate the bomb through his mobile phone.
Mr Ow then took the two pieces of written note to report to his duty manager.
Meanwhile, Certis Cisco officer Rosli Mohamad Sa'ad, 45, decided to check on Ismail.
Ismail then shouted at the auxiliary officer not to be a hero and put his left hand into the paper bag.
Mr Rosli dashed forward and pinned him to the ground. Mr Ow and two bank staff helped to detain him.
The bag contained a bottle of air freshener attached with a volt meter and a circuit board bundled by white masking tape. Two paper boxes and two paper rolls wrapped in aluminium foil were found separately in a plastic container.
Ismail, who has property and drug-related convictions, could have been sentenced up to 20 years' detention with no remission for good behaviour.
Ismail Shaikh Ahmad, 45, had pleaded guilty earlier to the attempted robbery at the City Plaza bank and taking morphine on Nov 10.
A district court heard that he had walked up to the bank counter that afternoon with a green paper bag.
He took out two pieces of paper and pointing at the bag, told bank teller Ow Soon Hock, 46, that that was a bomb.
He demanded money to be put in the bag within three minutes or he would activate the bomb through his mobile phone.
Mr Ow then took the two pieces of written note to report to his duty manager.
Meanwhile, Certis Cisco officer Rosli Mohamad Sa'ad, 45, decided to check on Ismail.
Ismail then shouted at the auxiliary officer not to be a hero and put his left hand into the paper bag.
Mr Rosli dashed forward and pinned him to the ground. Mr Ow and two bank staff helped to detain him.
The bag contained a bottle of air freshener attached with a volt meter and a circuit board bundled by white masking tape. Two paper boxes and two paper rolls wrapped in aluminium foil were found separately in a plastic container.
Ismail, who has property and drug-related convictions, could have been sentenced up to 20 years' detention with no remission for good behaviour.
