As we all know, bonsai plants — in all its zen miniature tree-like glory — are really quite expensive and fragile. Extremely smitten by their beauty and undeterred by the prospect of being caught, Teo Tiong Guan broke into several community gardens and even a flat to filch them.
In total, he stole nine bonsai plants, worth more than $12,000 over two months last year, TODAY reports. His radical love for bonsai has landed the 51-year-old horticulture enthusiast a one-year jail sentence for trespassing and theft.
His shrub-stealing spree began on May 14 last year, when he walked past bonsai plants at Yuhua Community Centre. 'Twas love at first sight, and he plotted to steal them as he found them beautiful.