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| Defendant admitted stealing at least 100 pieces of jewelry (Photo for illustration only) |
A Filipina domestic worker who admitted stealing around 100 pieces of jewelry valued at no less than $684,000 from her elderly employers’ daughter, was jailed for a total of 14 months on two charges of theft.
Magistrate Kestrel Lam told Sherelle Lyn V. Dajay, 40 years
old, that her crimes and breach of her employers’ trust over seven months from March
17, 2024 to Oct. 12, 2024, are serious and must be weighed against the only
mitigating factors -- that she pleaded guilty for which she was entitled to a
one-third discount on her sentence, and her previous clear record.
Dajay pleaded guilty in a hearing last May 10 to two counts
of theft: $684,000 worth of jewelry (made up of $480,700 for the first lot and $203,650
for the other) and a watch worth $4,300.
Magistrate Lam handed her a penalty of 15 months for the first
charge, considering the value of the stolen properties, plus three months for
breach of trust. With the one-third discount, the sentence was reduced to 12
months.
The penalty for the second charge was four months, two of
which will run at the same time as the first, thus bringing the total sentence
to 14 months.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
In all, the thefts had resulted in a loss of $148,150 in the
form of items that could no longer be recovered by the victim, plus $55,000
lost by the two pawnshops to which Dajay brought the jewelry for cash,
according to the prosecutor.
Her duty lawyer told the court she was unable to compensate
for the losses.
In mitigation, the lawyer said she was tempted to steal the
jewelry because she needed additional cash to pay for the college tuition of
her son, 22 years old, and daughter, 23, as her husband was not earning enough.
Dajay was arrested on Oct 24 last year after the victim,
Christine Sin, returned to the home of her parents on Black’s Link in Happy
Valley for the first time after it had undergone renovation starting in
February of the same year.
Dajay was said to have worked as caregiver for the couple
for four years before this.
Sin realized then that a box of jewelry she had left inside
an unlocked cabinet in her parents’ house had gone missing.
When she confronted Dajay, the latter admitted to the theft,
and presented some pawnshop receipts for some of the missing items.
Sin called the police.
When police arrived at the house, a search was conducted,
and a pink Link’s watch valued at $4,300 was found inside her bag, which Sin
identified as her property. Dajay readily admitted guilt before the police, and
said “sorry.”
Further investigation revealed a huge cache of jewelry that
Dajay had stolen between March 17 and October 12 last year, based on receipts
issued by two pawnshops.
The items which numbered around 100 pieces included a set of
rings and earrings in platinum and diamonds, a platinum necklace, several
number of jewelry pieces in gold and diamond, and at least five expensive
watches.
The second theft charge pertained to the pink watch found inside her bag, which was said to have been stolen sometime in September last year.
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