11 October 2007: Thou shalt not steal

A judge in Singapore sentenced a man to four months in jail for trying to steal a book, and then admonished him with Scripture before sending him off to prison.

The man had tried to steal a copy of the Bible, and said he had tried to steal it to replace his old, tattered copy.

While sentencing the 26-year-old thief the judge actually gave him a copy of the Bible, saying "You will see at page 65 that it says 'Thou shalt not steal'. Sit in prison and read the Bible, and ensure that you don't come before the courts again."