SINGAPORE: An Australian man who stole cash from licensed moneylender Accredit’s Tampines outlet was sentenced to 16 months ‘ jail on Friday ( Mar 7 ).  ,
Jose Manuel Pacheco, 40, pleaded guilty to theft, legal harassment, and criminal breach of trust.  ,
Pacheco was initially charged with armed assault last year but this was downgraded to robbery and criminal harassment.  ,
According to court papers, he entered Accredit Tampines at about 1.40pm on Jun 3, 2024, donned in a black cap and face with a black duffle bag in his left side and a knife in his right hand.  ,
He then pointed the weapon at a 32-year-old sexual staff and demanded that she put cash in the case.
Alone in the store at the time, she complied with Pacheco’s desire and took money from the box in front of her to put in the case.  ,
But, Pacheco was dissatisfied with the amount of money, and demanded that the victim handed over more. He forced the girl to opened the closets and cupboards to show that there was no more money kept at the store.  ,
The whole incident was captured on CCTV film, which was played in judge by the trial and showed Pachecho holding the knife beside his neck.  ,
After officers arrived at the scene, Pachecho was found seated at a local hole board. He admitted to robbing the business and surrendered to the soldiers.  ,
Following a search, police found a knife and S$ 6, 095 ( S$ 4, 600 ) of stolen cash in his duffle bag.  ,
According to Pacheco, he needed cash urgently to recover debt owed to licensed and unregulated lenders.
Separately, the 40-year-old also pleaded guilty to committing criminal breach of trust, after misappropriating S$ 9, 293.35 at his job between March and May 2024 to recover his debt.  ,
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin sought a full paragraph of between 15 and 18 months ‘ prison for the three charges while Pacheco’s attorney Azri Imran Tan asked for a prison sentence of not more than 15 months, as his client has a medical condition.  ,
A forensic medical examination of Pacheco conducted by the Institute of Mental Health found that he suffers from major depressive disorder ( moderate to severe intensity ) and that there was a relevant connection between his melancholy and his insulting behavior.  ,
The document also assessed him to be of good mind at the time of the crime and was capable of appreciating what he was doing and the wrongfulness of his behavior.  ,
District Judge Shen Wanqin said it could not be disputed that the crimes committed by Pacheco , were burial.  ,
” It is just unacceptable or people dwelling in this civilized society to reflect such brutish conduct”, she said.  ,
But, she noted that he suffers from depression and that he had acknowledged his crime in court.  ,
For fraud, Pacheco could have been jailed up to seven times and fined. For legal intimidation, he may have received a greatest prison sentence of two decades and/or fined.  ,