 |
| Fake Nike being sold online |
By Vir B. Lumicao
A Filipina who sold fake Nike shoes on her day off to
augment her income was sentenced on Jul 19 to six weeks in jail, suspended for
a year, after she admitted her offenses.
Geraldine Hurboda, a 36-year-old domestic worker, pleaded
guilty before Magistrate Peter Law in Eastern Court to charges of “possession
for sale or any purpose of trade of goods to which a fake trademark was
applied” and “breach of condition of stay”.
The prosecution said Hurboda was arrested on Dec 3 last year
by a Customs officer posing as a civilian while selling eight pairs of fake
Nike shoes to fellow Filipinos near St Joseph’s Church on Garden Road, Central.
The charge read to the defendant said the officer watched
for a few minutes as Hurboda laid her merchandise on the pavement for likely
buyers to inspect before arresting her.
The prosecutor said Hurboda, who came to Hong Kong on Jul
23, 2016 to work as a domestic helper for a family on Caine Road, Mid-Levels,
had a clear record. She had lost her job since her arrest.
Her counsel from the Duty Lawyer Service said in mitigation
that Hurboda had admitted her offenses at the earliest instance, adding that
she committed them because she wanted to send more money to her ailing mother.
The lawyer read a letter from Hurboda which said she was
remorseful and was hoping to get another job in Hong Kong. Her former employer
also sent a letter attesting to her good character.
Law imposed a two-week sentence on Hurboda for selling fake
goods and six weeks for breaching her condition of stay. Both sentences are to
be served concurrently but suspended for 12 months.
“The nature of your breach of condition of stay is different
from the nature of other breach of condition cases I’ve heard. Those cases
involved people who are not allowed to work at all in Hong Kong. In your case,
you were working in Hong Kong when you breached your condition of stay,” Law
told Hurboda.
