The SUN HK : Filipina DH gets 3 months for stealing clothing, Octopus cards and wallet

09 December 2020

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Filipina was sentenced at Eastern Court

A Filipina helper was jailed three months today, Dec 9, for admitting she stole a branded piece of clothing worth $2,000, a wallet and two Octopus cards from her employer, after prosecutors threw out allegations that she also took $18,500, four watches and a charger.

R. Sabugo, 34, pleaded guilty before Eastern Court Magistrate Bina Chainrai to an amended charge that omitted the $18,500 cash, four watches and a charger from the list of items allegedly stolen.

The prosecutor did not say why those items were stricken off.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The prosecution said the Filipina carried out the offense in October inside the flat of employer Duan Lin, a company director, at Upton residential tower in Kennedy Town.

Sabugo stood meekly in the dock as Magistrate Bina Chainrai pronounced the sentence, ignoring the defense lawyer’s request for a suspended sentence.

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Police arrested the defendant on Oct 11 after Duan reported that the money, which she kept in her cabinet drawer, went missing and suspected the helper had taken it. Duan also accused Sabugo of stealing four watches, a charger, the wallet and Octopus cards.

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The helper initially denied the offense, saying Duan gave her the garment. She also said the Octopus cards and wallet might have been mislaid by the employer’s child in her luggage.

It was not known whether the Octopus cards had been used, the prosecutor said.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The defense lawyer said Sabugo, single, came to Hong Kong in 2018 to work for Duan as a helper with a monthly salary of $5,000. He said his client is single, a high school graduate and the breadwinner of her father and mother.

He said Sabugo was remorseful and admitted he committed the offense out of greed. He said the defendant is willing to compensate the employer but has no money.