By Vir B. Lumicao
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| The helper's haul included 13 pieces of gold ornaments |
A Filipina domestic helper was sentenced to a year in prison
today, Mar 17, in
Rhea Mae Fernando, 31 and single, wiped off tears as Magistrate Jason Wan imposed the sentence, saying the defendant’s offense was a very serious breach of trust that caused a huge monetary loss to her employer.
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Fernando was accused of stealing two diamond rings valued at $60,000 and 13 gold ornaments worth a total of $90,000 that her male employer, Yu Tin-sang, locked in a steel safe in a flat at Fung Yue House, Sui Wo Court, Shatin.
The theft happened between December last year and February this year.
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The prosecution said that Yu, 39, the Filipina’s employer since 2015, last checked his jewelry in early November last year and saw that the two diamond rings and 13 gold ornaments were still there. He hid the keys in his wardrobe.
When Yu checked his safe again on Feb 15, he noticed that the rings and gold ornaments were missing. The employer confronted Fernando about the missing jewelry and the latter admitted that she had taken them and pawned them.
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Yu reported the theft to police and the helper was arrested at 2:30pm on Feb 15.
In a video-recorded interview, Fernando admitted she took the jewelry and pawned them.
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A house search was then conducted and 10 pawnshop receipts were found. They were issued by Maxi-Cash, Shing Fung, Shing Hing and Shui Cheong pawnshops.
Further enquiry showed that Fernando pawned the 13 gold ornaments on 10 occasions between Dec 6 last year and Feb 14 this year at the four pawnshops for a total of $50,200. The prosecution said their value was $90,000.
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The two diamond rings were not recovered.
The stolen items were broken down into nine charges as follows:
· Charge 1 – two diamonds rings worth $60,000 stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Feb 15, 2021
· Charge 2 – two gold ornaments stolen between mid-Nov and Dec 6, 2020 and pawned for $12,200
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· Charge 3 – two gold ornaments stolen between mid-Nov and Dec 13, 2020 and pawned for $3,400
· Charge 4 – one gold ornament stolen between mid-Nov and Dec 30, 2020 pawned for $5,200
· Charge 5 – one gold ornament stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Jan 3, 2021 and pawned for $7,000
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· Charge 6 – two gold ornaments stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Jan 24, 2021 and pawned for $6,000
· Charge 7 – two gold ornaments stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Jan 25, 2021 and pawned for $11,500
· Charge 8 – one gold ornament stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Feb 1, 2021 and pawned for $1,200
· Charge 9 – two gold ornaments stolen between mid-Nov 2020 and Feb 14, 2021 and pawned for $3,700
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| The Shatin Magistrate convicted the helper of 9 counts of theft |
Magistrate Wan convicted Fernando on all nine charges.
In mitigation, defense counsel James McGowan said the defendant who was on her third contract with Yu, needed money badly when her father fell ill and the family racked up a huge debt for his medical expenses.
Yet her father died, leaving Fernando to tackle the debts while supporting the family.
Wan said he considered Fernando’s guilty plea, her being unable to compensate the victim for his monetary loss, her remorse and all other circumstances before handing out the discounted sentence on the helper.
