Bandar Seri Begawan - Chief Magistrate Hj Abdullah Soefri PD Hj Abidin yesterday highlighted the trust that has been given and the designation to uphold the law to a regimental policeman who pleaded guilty to thieving a mobile phone from a patient at the hospital.

He received a sentence of three weeks' jail.

Lance Corporal 14655 Pg Shahran bin Pg Hj Duraman, a Regimental Police of the 3rd Batallion of the Royal Brunei Army in Lumut Camp, went to visit a friend at RIPAS Hospital at 6am on September 1.

He went to Ward 22 to visit his friend but could not locate him and kept on walking past a row of beds until he saw an iPhone placed on a cabinet by a patient's bedside.

The patient was sleeping and the defendant took the opportunity to steal it and immediately left.

The patient realised his phone was missing at about 6.45am and alerted a nurse.

Police was informed after they could not find it. Further police investigations and public information led to the defendant's arrest.

The court read out that this is a crime of opportunity and the defendant being in a position that is supposed to uphold the law had taken advantage of this situation, moreover, stealing from vulnerable people at the hospital.

DPP Ratno Eddy Sophian bin Hj Zaidi prosecuted the case.