SINGAPORE — Less than six months after serving time in jail for theft, Johari Mohd was back to a life of crime, committing offences ranging from theft to hurting a police officer.

He chalked up 27 offences between March last year and January this year.

Yesterday, the 52-year-old was put behind bars for nine years with no chance of remission for good behaviour, after a judge sentenced him to preventive detention.

District Judge Low Wee Ping said that “this court” has never seen a preventive detention suitability report where an offender has been assessed to have “such a high risk” of reoffending within two years’ of release from prison.

Johari, who has been in and out of jail mainly for theft and robbery offences since he was 17, was assessed to have a 70-per-cent chance of reoffending.

In November 2015, he was released from prison, but he started to steal again in March last year.

He was having drinks with a group of friends at Marissa Filipino Pub at Lucky Plaza one afternoon, and stole a mobile phone from a foreign domestic worker in the group.

Last June, Johari started work as a cleaner at Yayasan Mendaki (Council for the Development of Singapore Malay/Muslim Community), but barely a month into his job, he stole S$1,340, RM200 (S$64.50) and US$20 (S$27.90) from 13 co-workers.

The co-workers were having a Hari Raya celebration at the Mendaki hall on July 27, and left their belongings in their cubicles at the office.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim said: “While he (Johari) was inside the office and clearing the rubbish bins, (he) searched through the belongings of the staff members for cash.”

On both occasions, Johari was arrested and released on police bail.

On Jan 15 this year, the police received two reports: A dispute at International Building along Orchard Road and a fight at Orchard Towers food court — and Johari was involved in both.

At International Building, Johari was having drinks in Blowfish Pub at around 5pm when he decided to steal a woman’s handbag.

Once outside, he sifted through the items in her handbag — including a mobile phone and a tablet — and transferred some of the belongings into his own bag before heading over to Orchard Towers.

At around 6.30pm, he was involved in a fight with a Bangladeshi man at the food court and the police were called to the scene.

While being questioned by the police, Johari raised his fists and asked the police officer if he wanted to “try him”.

The stolen belongings from the pub were found in his bag, but he lied to the police that they belonged to his girlfriend.

However, Johari was unable to unlock the mobile phone in front of the police. At one point, he threw the tablet onto the floor.

As he was arrested by the police, Johari turned violent, hurling vulgarities and kicking two officers on the head, thigh and chest.

Inside the police car, Johari spat on one officer’s face.

In his sentencing remarks, District Judge Low noted that Johari’s “variety of charges” this round was “stunning”.

Johari told the court: “I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Give me one more chance.

“I promise you I’ll never come back to prison again.” VALERIE KOH