SINGAPORE : There was high drama in court on Friday when Brian Khoo, the man who pleaded guilty to attempting to rob a Maybank branch with a toy gun, fainted in the dock on hearing his sentence.
Khoo was sentenced to 4 and half years' jail and nine strokes of the cane.
Khoo was wheeled out of court to a waiting ambulance after he fainted on hearing his sentence.
This comes a day after Khoo made an emotional plea to the court.
He had pleaded guilty and told the court he was remorseful and that he wanted to tell his four sons not to commit any offence against the law.
His eldest son was present in court on Friday.
According to his defence counsel, Khoo left his job as a court clerk with the hope of a much better job prospect.
When that did not work out and the debts started piling up, Khoo, who has a wife and four children to support, became desperate.
Khoo then tried to rob a Maybank branch in Bukit Timah during lunchtime on November 9 last year.
Khoo had whipped out a toy gun, and held a customer hostage and demanded money from two counter staff.
The Cisco guard at the bank shot him twice, which has left him with permanent injuries.
Khoo's lawyer, Winston Mok, said, "He's suffering from two gunshot wounds. One was inflicted on his head and one on his shoulder. He lost permanent eye sight in his right eye."
In passing his sentence. District Judge Tan Puay Boon said one thing, however, was clear.
He said, "No banks or financial institutions should be thought of as places where people can resort to obtaining easy money, however difficult their financial position may be. No worker or customer at these places should be subject to the terror the staff members and the customer of the bank had felt."
Khoo had faced a possible jail term of 10 years. - CNA