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| Bautista was sentenced at Kowloon City court |
By Vir B. Lumicao
A Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to six months in
jail on Oct 31 in Kowloon City Court for stealing close to $7,000 from her
employer in September.
Rochelle B. Bautista, 33, was arrested on Sept 25 after her
employer, Ms Lee, reported to police that she had lost 2,000 renminbi, US$100 and
$3,000 in a plastic envelope she had kept in a red suitcase in her flat at The
Waterfront in Tsimshatsui.
The missing money was equivalent to $6,850. Police recovered
the missing $700 from the maid’s belongings.
Bautista, who had been employed by Lee since April this
year, was released on police bail following the investigation.
The prosecution said the stolen money was part of 5,700 renminbi,
$7,000 and US$400 placed in five envelopes that Lee wrapped in a plastic bag and
kept in the locked suitcase before she left the house on the morning of Sept
25.
When she returned in the evening, she found out only 3,700
renminbi, $4,000 and US$300 were left, prompting her to review the CCTV
footage. There she saw Bautista forcing the suitcase open with a pen and taking
out the plastic bag containing the money.
The prosecution said the maid was unaware of the closed-circuit
TV camera.
Magistrate Peter Law convicted Bautista after she pleaded
guilty to the charge in a hearing on Oct 26.
“Stealing from your employer is a serious offense. It’s a
breach of trust she placed on you,” Law told Bautista.
But Law delayed the sentencing after the duty lawyer
assigned to represent Bautista asked him to issue a compensation order, as the
defendant allegedly wanted to compensate her employer for the 2,000 renminbi
and US$100.
“The court does not accept foreign currencies. So go to the
money shop and exchange you money for Hong Kong
dollars,” Law told the defendant. He reset the sentencing.
Later, Law said that even though Bautista had compensated
the victim, she had committed a serious offense.
