Overstaying Singapore man, 75, sentenced to 11 years for robbing bank

Jamie Liu

An overstaying 75-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for robbing a bank with an air gun and attempting to rob a drug store.

Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong handed down the sentence at the High Court yesterday after Leong How-seng pleaded guilty to the charges.

The court heard that Leong attempted to rob a Mannings store in Prince Edward in July 2020 by telling staff the water bottle he held contained gasoline. But he failed to take anything and fled the scene.

In April 2022, Leong took HK$14,000 from the Yau Ma Tei branch of China Construction Bank using a malfunctioning air gun. He was arrested on the same day.

Yau said Leong's use of the air gun, an imitation firearm, resulted in an increase in his sentence, with the starting imprisonment length for the robbery offense at 12 years. The term for the attempted robbery offense starts at five years.

The judge, however, reduced the sentence by 20 percent for Leong's guilty plea and cooperative attitude.

Yau said the sentences will be served concurrently and handed Leong a jail term of 11 years.

According to the defense, Leong came to Hong Kong in the 2000s. He has not had a job nor applied for social security aid, and has been living on his savings. His lawyer said he committed the crimes because of financial problems and failure to pay rent.

jamie.liu@singtaonewscorp.com