SINGAPORE, May 12 — A 51-year-old saleswoman who stole 19 bottles of wine from a Sheng Siong supermarket was caught after the chain’s facial recognition system flagged her face to store managers. She was sentenced to eight days in jail on May 12.

According to CNA, Catherine Tan Li Eng pleaded guilty to a single amalgamated theft charge covering seven separate incidents in September 2025, during which she took bottles of Jacob’s Creek wine from the outlet at Block 622D, Punggol Central. The total value of the stolen wine was about S$556 (RM1,718).

The supermarket first noticed missing stock during an inventory check on September 10. Staff reviewed security footage and saw Tan placing wine into a reusable bag and leaving without paying. The footage was used to register her image in the chain’s AI‑driven facial recognition system, which Sheng Siong had rolled out across its outlets in April 2024.

The system was designed to alert managers if a flagged individual re‑entered any store. That alert came the next day, when Tan returned to the same outlet around noon on September 11. A retail manager intercepted her at the self‑checkout kiosk, inspected her bags and found three unsanctioned wine bottles. Police were called, and those three bottles were recovered. Tan later made full restitution, paying about S$470 for the remaining bottles.

In court, Tan’s lawyer argued for a sentence of one to two days’ jail, citing her role as the sole caregiver for her mother and an intellectually disabled cousin, as well as her remorse and full repayment.

District Judge Brenda Chua rejected that proposal as “too low and not appropriate.” She noted that the stolen amount was “not insignificant” and that the amalgamated charge, which bundles multiple thefts into one count, reflected “higher criminality.” An amalgamated theft charge carries a maximum penalty of up to six years’ imprisonment, double the three‑year ceiling for a single theft offence.