Man jailed for hiding friend from police in a suitcase, aiding him in housebreaking

He was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

Faris Alfiq | August 03, 2021, 11:24 PM

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Chia Wei Poh, 32, was given a sentence of one year and five months on Aug. 2 after pleading guilty to one charge of harbouring an offender, Lim Wei Kiat, and one count of abetting to commit housebreaking, according to Yahoo.

Chia is Lim's childhood friend.

Lim was earlier sentenced on Jul. 17, 2020 to four years and six months’ jail and four strokes of the cane.

Chia was Lim's bailor in 2018

According to court documents seen by Mothership, on the night of Sep. 12, 2018, Lim broke into a house. He was arrested and released on court bail on Oct. 12, 2018.

Chia stood as his bailor for the sum of $15,000.

Lim was supposed to attend court on Dec. 6 2018 but had failed to do so. As a result, a warrant of arrest was issued for him.

Chia also had to forfeit $5,000 of the bail in a show cause hearing.

Chia took pity, allowed Lim to stay

In April 2019, Lim contacted Chia asking for a place to stay. Chia was aware that Lim was wanted by the authorities.

Lim told Chia he would work as a deliveryman to help pay back the forfeited sum.

Lim also recently had a newborn son and wanted to pay off his credit card debt. Chia took pity on him and allowed him to stay at his rented flat and to work for him.

Lim wanted to break in more houses

In June 2019, Lim decided that he needed more cash so he wanted to commit more housebreaking.

On Jun. 23, 2019, Lim asked Chia to drive him to Mustafa Centre to purchase some housebreaking equipment. Chia agreed and drove him in his van. Chia was with Lim when he bought the items.

The next day, Lim asked Chia for another ride to Boat Quay to break in to V3 Club, his former workplace.

Lim climbed up to the 3rd floor of the club from the back lane and entered through an unlocked window, he used a crowbar to break into the club's office and opened the cash register, to steal $25.

Lim and Chia eventually went back to Chia's rented flat.

Initially wanted to climb down by tying bedsheets

On Jun. 25, 2019, Lim was traced to Chia's flat by the police.

Both of them saw the police at the ground floor from their balcony.

Initially, Lim wanted to climb down from the balcony by tying some bedsheets to the railing.

However, Chia eventually persuaded him not to do so as the he was afraid Lim would fall and die.

Chia then untied the blanket and then helped Lim hide in a suitcase, before placing some items on top of it to avoid detection by the police.

Just before the police broke down the door, Chia opened the door.

When the police entered the flat, Chia denied Lim was in the flat, but later told the Police where he was hidden.

Lim was discovered in the suitcase after about an hour. He suffered numbness in the legs and was unable to walk, he was warded in Changi General Hospital for a week.

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