23-year-old Karrtik Stalniraj, was sentenced to 5 years, 8 months and 5 weeks imprisonment; 12 strokes of the cane and a $3,000 fine for armed robbery and other offences.
The other offences included the stabbing of another man, spitting at a police officer, meeting other people for drinks during the Circuit Breaker period in 2020, and theft.
Karrtik and two other accomplices, Kotta Kumar Jeswants, 20 and Tusheintar Segaran, 22, agreed to rob OT Credit at Block 135 Jurong Gateway Road.
The reason was because Karrtik needed money for Deepavali to buy a present for his then-girlfriend, and he suggested OT Credit because there were only two female staff working there.
The trio arrived at the vicinity on 29 November 2020 in the afternoon and Tusheintar entered the shop wearing a motorcycle helmet that was stolen.
But he then left without saying anything.
Karrtik couldn’t wait any longer and at about 4pm, he suggested that they enter the premises together, with Tusheintar serving as a lookout while his two accomplices entered the shop.
They then entered the shop where a 36-year-old manager was alone, and Kotta was seen in the CCTV footage rushing the manager and pointing a knife at her while holding her hair as money was stashed into a bag.
Karrtik received a payment of $14,500 for his part in the robbery.
The three of them then went to Bugis to buy new clothes, with Karrtik buying an iPhone 12 Pro Max for his then-girlfriend.
The trio of robbers were then arrested in Geylang the next day by the police after being tracked down.