SINGAPORE, June 25 -- A wedding lunch at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach turned into a nightmare for a newlywed couple when nearly S$50,000 (RM165,658) in red packets was stolen from their reception by a former banquet server.

The Straits Times reported that Lee Yi Wei, 36, was sentenced to 12 months' jail yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of theft and one count of gambling with an unlicensed service provider.

The court also ordered him to repay the stolen amount, or face an additional 100 days in jail.

Lee, a habitual gambler, made off with two money boxes containing S$48,939 during the wedding event on April 5.

According to State Prosecuting Officer Segathesan Kannapan, he had previously worked at the hotel an...