SINGAPORE — Barely three years after a stint in preventive detention, an unemployed man returned to a life of crime, attempting to rob an elderly money changer.

Armed with a penknife, Syed Muhammad Syed Hassan Alkaff, 60, threatened the 89-year-old with it and told him not to shout. He also hit the other man at least twice on the head and face.

He fled and was arrested by the police two days later. They found two vials of hydrochloric acid in his bag, which he admitted he was carrying during the failed robbery.

On Thursday (Sept 5), Syed pleaded guilty to causing hurt while committing robbery and possessing a corrosive substance for the purpose of causing hurt.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told the court that Syed’s offences date back to 1982.

Most recently, he served seven years in preventive detention for a string of cheating offences and weapon possession. He was released in January 2016.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim called for a report to assess if he is suitable for preventive detention — a severe punishment only imposed when the court is satisfied that a recalcitrant offender should be locked away so as to protect the public from him.

He will return to court to be sentenced on Sept 26, and remains in remand.

WHAT HAPPENED

The court heard that Syed first scouted the money changer at The Central, located along Eu Tong Sen Street, on Oct 19 last year.

At the time, he claimed to be S$20,000 in debt with several moneylenders.

Noticing that Mr Amir Hamja Shaik Dawood’s business — Twin Towers Exchange — was in a secluded corner, he decided it was a good target.

He bought a S$1 penknife from a night market later that evening.

The next day at about 7.30pm, Syed went back to The Central and chatted with Mr Amir, pretending to be interested in changing S$10,000 to Malaysian ringgit.

Mr Amir said he would change the money for Syed. The money changer also told him that his partner was not around.

But Syed then walked away without handing over the money that he purportedly wanted to change.

Moments later Mr Amir unlocked the door to go for prayers, and that was when Syed rushed in, pushed him back into the booth and closed the door.

He pointed the penknife at Mr Amir and said: “Uncle, I want to take money. Don’t shout.”

However, the elderly man shouted for help and put up a fight. The 10cm-long penknife blade and Syed’s sunglasses fell to the ground during the struggle.

Mr Amir also fell and Syed hit him on the head and face with the penknife handle. Syed fled after noticing some people walking by.

A security officer called the police and Mr Amir went to the Singapore General Hospital for treatment.

Through closed-circuit television footage and DNA swabs from the sunglasses and penknife blade, the police identified Syed and arrested him two days later, on Oct 22 last year.

Officers found a pair of white gloves, another penknife, two vials of hydrochloric acid and a blue cloth in his backpack.

Syed admitted that he bought the gloves and penknife for another robbery attempt the day after the unsuccessful one. Court documents did not give any details on the other attempt.

He also claimed that he wanted to use the acid to protect himself from moneylenders.

In mitigation, his lawyer Koh Jian Ying said that Syed was working two jobs before the offence, and had only committed crimes again “as a result of financial difficulties”.

Mr Koh added that Syed was fired from both jobs in October last year and was “extremely desperate” to pay off his debts to the moneylenders as he had no family support or close friends.

“I ask for one last chance on account of his old age,” the lawyer said.