1. The accused is 24 years old. He pleaded guilty to a charge under s 3(2) of the Arms Offences Act which carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of ten years imprisonment and a minimum mandatory sentence of six strokes of the cane.

2. He also pleaded guilty to a second charge under s 394 of the Penal Code and a third charge under s 394 read with s 397 of the Penal Code.

3. He also agreed to have seven other offences taken into consideration for purposes of sentencing. He had a previous conviction for being in unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon.

4. The accused began his criminal activities relating to the charges before me from November 1998. The offences were all serious in nature and were well-planned and executed. He was able to carry out the offences relating to the first and seventh charges within less than three hours of each other.

5. In respect of the first charge, he consorted with an accomplice who to his knowledge, was armed with a pistol. From the facts admitted by him, the weapon was intended for crime, and was in fact so used.

6. There was nothing by way of mitigation which I could have taken into account save for his guilty plea and prayer for leniency. These do not assist him in this case because of the seriousness and circumstances of the offences.

7. In the circumstances, I am of the view that the appropriate sentences should be 12 years imprisonment and six strokes of the cane for the first charge; 14 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane for the second charge; and 14 years imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane for the third charge.

8. In sentencing the accused I am mindful of the overall punishment which he ought to face. Therefore, I further ordered that the terms of imprisonment in respect of the second and third charge are to be concurrent but to run consecutively from the sentence for the first charge. The maximum number of strokes of the cane will be 24 as specified by law.

Choo Han Teck

Judicial Commissioner