A 35-year-old thief with a taste for motorbikes is headed back to the big house. Recently released from a five-year jail stint for a previous moto theft, he attempted to drive away with the motorbike of a distracted shopper at a Phnom Penh market on Sunday.

However, the victim shouted for help, leading to a quickly assembled mob and the perfunctory beating. Arriving police saved his life, but assured him a room at the grey-bar hotel. DEUM AMPIL