If, by any chance, you entertained the thought of shoplifting or shopping and then leaving the store without paying, a Filipina’s experience with its consequences should act as a deterrent.
Ethel Joy Mangila, 42 years old, not only lost her job as a domestic helper and has only until July 26 to return to the Philippines, but she also may not be able to return to Hong Kong to work as she now has a criminal conviction.
On top of that, Mangila was fined $2,000 after she was convicted
of theft Friday at Kowloon City Court as a result of pleading guilty to shoplifting
$540 worth of items from an Aeon store in Whampoa Garden in Hung Hom last June
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| PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO |
She was charged with stealing four boxes of toothpaste, one pack
of lipstick, two packs of lip balm, one makeup brush, two packs of snacks, two
cans of sardines, one pack of digestive bar, one pack of digestive biscuit, one
pack of cookies, one pack of sushi and one bottle of coffee.
A police complaint said a security guard at the store noticed
her on CCTV picking items from shelves, putting them in her eco bag and then
leaving the store without paying. She was intercepted outside the store and arrested
by a responding police officer.
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| Basahin ang detalye |
In mitigation, her duty lawyer pleaded to Acting Principal
Magistrate Peony Wong not to hand her a custodial sentence as she had no
previous criminal records, the stolen items were for her own consumption, she
was remorseful and that, as a result of the case, she had been terminated by her
employer.
Magistrate Wong noted that Mangila has posted a $1,000 bail.
She added another $1,000 as penalty, for a total fine of $2,000.
