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| Kwun Tong Court |
The flood control scandal in the Philippines found its way to the Kwun Tong Court today when a Filipina domestic helper pleaded guilty to theft, saying flood damage on her parents’ house that needed fixing drove her to steal $6,000 from her employers.
As a result, Michelle Navarro, 42
years old, was convicted of theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft
Ordinance, and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, which was left after taking
out the one-third discount she was entitled to for her guilty plea.
Navarro had admitted stealing $5,000 last Jan. 9 and $1,000
on Jan. 21 in a house at The Terraces, Lam Ha Road, Tseung Kwan O.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Principal Magistrate May Chung noted that this was a breach
of confidence case, which worsened the offense.
She noted that Navarro’s employer Edmond
So testified that he usually put money in his wallet, which he kept in his
bedroom, and discovered one day that $5,000 was missing.
He subsequently had a CCTV installed
and when another $1,000 went missing, he checked the video, which showed
Navarro taking the bill from his wallet and inserting it in her bra.
When confronted, she admitted
taking the money, and led them to the stolen $5,000 kept in a box inside the
toilet, although she had spent the $1,000.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
In mitigation, Navarro’s duty
lawyer appealed to Magistrate Chung to be lenient in sentencing her, saying he
was under pressure to send money to her family to repair the flood-damaged home
of her parents, who were looking after her three children aged 21, 16 and 12.
He said she was the sole breadwinner
of the family. He did not mention where in the Philippines they are located.
