MIRI: A 36-year-old man has learnt the hard way that it does not pay to steal.
He entered a car around midnight on Monday while the owner of a vehicle was dozing off by the roadside of Jalan Akasia.
He stole the wallet and phone of the sleeping 20-year-old motorist.
The motorist suddenly sensed the presence of the thief and a brief struggle between the two ensued.
The thief, however, managed to break loose and tried to escape on his motorcycle but the young motorist managed to grab the back of the bike.
This caused the thief to fall off and land hard on the road.
Even though he sustained bodily injuries, the thief picked himself and rode away on his motorcycle, said Miri Police chief, ACP Lim Meng Seah.
The motorist, however, refused to let the thief go scot-free. He immediately ran back to his car and chased after him, said Lim when contacted.
During the car chase, the motorist rammed the motorcycle from behind.
Following the collision, the thief fell into a ditch and fainted.
A team from the Miri Criminal Investigation Department (CID) rushed to the scene after being alerted by the motorist.
Meanwhile, the motorist managed to recover his wallet and handphone.
The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft.
Lim added, prior to the incident, the motorist decided to pull over by the roadside as he was too tired to drive.
“He decided to rest inside the car,” he said.
