Three Filipinos separately charged with theft, ended up with differing fates after they appeared before the same magistrate at West Kowloon court today – Edelyn Acero was returned to jail despite offering a higher bail, E. Blancio got off with a bind-over or a promise not to commit any offense for one year, and J. Cardema got a community service order.
Acero, 34 and an asylum seeker, leaned on a gap in the glass enclosure for detained defendants, to listen to a Filipina interpreter and nodded after she heard Magistrate Jason Wan’s rejection of her offer to raise her bail from $2,000 to $2,500.
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Magistrate Wan said he based his decision on the nature and seriousness of the charges she was facing, the likelihood of conviction, that the evidence was strong and that she was on bail for another case when she committed the offenses.
Acero is accused of stealing $2,000 in cash from a laundry shop on Fak Wing St., Sham Shui Po, last Nov. 9.
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The same night, it was alleged, she damaged the lock of a room in another building in Sham Shui Po.
The following day, while under investigation at the Sham Shui Po police station at Yen Chau St., she damaged a wall and a frame for the intercom.
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Wan scheduled another bail review for Jan. 23.
Blancio, 57 years old, was charged with stealing one bottle of shampoo, one tube of toothpaste, one pack of glutinous rice, one can of coffee, one pack of strawberry yoghurt, one box of mint chocolate, and one box of milk chocolate.
The theft happened on Nov. 7 at a Wellcome Supermarket in Tsuen Wan, where an employee said he saw Blancio on CCTV placing the items into the cart, and blocked her as she was leaving the store without paying.
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Wan told Blancio that both the prosecution and defense agreed to recommend the bind over, which is not a conviction and will not give her a criminal record. He placed a $1,000 penalty if she reoffends within one year, and charged her $500 for court costs.
Cardema, 19 years old, was charged with stealing $1,000 in cash and one pair of shoes worth $2,000 from a local man in an office in Pakpolee Center in Mong Kok last Sept. 17.
The prosecutor recommended that he render community service order for 80 hours, which Wan approved.
But he also warned Cardema that if he does not work diligenty and cooperate with the probation officer who will supervise him, “I will sentence you to prison.”
