SINGAPORE — A 31-year-old tourist from South Korea was sentenced to six months’ jail on Wednesday (May 24) for stealing S$29,000 from her friend and losing it all at the gambling tables of Marina Bay Sands’ casino.

Song Hayan, who was here on a social visit pass, pleaded guilty to committing theft earlier in the month after her arrest on April 21.

The South Korean arrived in Singapore on April 17 with her friend Bae Jiyoon, 30, for a holiday and they were staying at Equarius Hotel on Sentosa Island until they checked into a hotel at the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort.

On the afternoon of April 21, Bae left the hotel room to go shopping on her own while Song was asleep.

A few hours later, Bae returned to her hotel room and Song was not around.

She proceeded to look for a transparent bag she had that contained S$29,000, which she had placed underneath the clothing in her luggage.

State Prosecuting Officer (SPO) Lim Yeow Leong told the court that Bae was not able to find the bag even though she had seen it earlier before she left.

She noticed that someone seemed to have rummaged through her clothing and searched her luggage. 

She then called Song’s mobile phone but her calls went unanswered, so she went to look for Song at the casino in Marina Bay Sands but could not find her.

The court heard that Bae eventually decided to post on her Instagram account, tagged Song’s account in the post, and urged Song to return the money because she believed that her friend had taken it.

Shortly after that, Song called Bae and asked to meet her at the first level of the casino.

When they met, Song was holding onto Bae’s empty transparent bag and admitted that she took the money and lost the full amount while gambling at the casino.

SPO Lim said investigations later revealed that Song knew Bae was in possession of a huge sum of cash and had searched her luggage with the intent to steal the transparent bag when Bae was out shopping.

No money has been recovered and no restitution has been made by Song to Bae.

On Wednesday, Song, who was not represented by a lawyer, apologised and pleaded with the court for leniency through tears as she asked the court to “forgive” her this once and allow her “to go back to Korea”.

She added that since her arrest, she has been having “a difficult time” in prison because she is unable to communicate with anyone. 

In delivering his sentence, District Judge Kenneth J Chin told Song that theft offences are taken seriously here and that her sentence “must reflect” that she stole a large sum of money.

However, he took into account her early plea of guilt and accepted that it was a “reflection” of her genuine remorse.

The judge told her he hopes that this episode will “serve as a lesson” to her after she is released, because Singapore has “zero tolerance” towards crime.

For committing theft, Song could have been jailed up to seven years and fined