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| The court treated the Filipina leniently because she admitted the charge right away |
A Filipina domestic helper who admitted stealing $800 from her male employer in Yuen Long early this month walked away with a 14-day suspended prison sentence from Shatin Law Courts on Friday, May 12.
Lilalyn Fernandez received a lenient
sentence from Magistrate Chan Yip-hei, who considered the defendant’s going to
the court early to enter her guilty plea, pre-empting her bail review hearing
scheduled for June 14.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE! |
The incident took place in a village house in Springfield Garden in Shatin.
The prosecution said Fernandez was arrested on the evening of May 3 after the employer discovered that $800 from a total of $1,100 he left in a drawer in his bedroom a day earlier had gone missing.
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| PAPAANO SUMALI? PINDUTIN ITO! |
The employer reviewed the day’s CCTV footage and saw the defendant entering his room. Then the helper opened the drawer and took some stuff, then left.
Police
were called and the officers arrested the defendant. They recovered from her
the missing $800.
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| Magkano? Pindutin ito! |
In mitigation, the defendant’s counsel
from the Duty Lawyer Service said Fernandez was forced to steal because she needed to send home money for her two sons, aged 6 and 9 years old.
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The lawyer said Fernandez came to Hong
Kong to help her husband, a farmer, support the family.
Chan told the Filipina that stealing
from one’s employer is a breach of trust, a serious offense that calls for
immediate custodial sentence.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
But the magistrate said the defendant had
pleaded guilty early and the stolen money had been recovered. He also considered
the mitigation put forth by Fernandez’ lawyer.
The magistrate sentenced the defendant
to 14 days in jail after deducting one-third for her guilty plea, but suspended
the sentence for 12 months. Chan also cancelled the scheduled bail hearing on
June 14.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
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| PADALA NA! |
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