By Vir B. Lumicao
 |
| The employer's diamond earrings which Areola had pawned were no longer recovered |
A jobless Filipina was jailed for six months today for stealing a pair of diamond earrings valued at $80,000 and $4,000 in cash from her employer in South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau, between Dec 5 last year and September this year.
The defendant, Felomina Areola, 51, pleaded guilty before Eastern Court Magistrate Daniel Tang to one count of theft for taking the jewelry and cash when she was still employed as a domestic worker by the victim, Bonnie Kam, 40.
 |
| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
The prosecution said the employer kept the pair of diamond
earrings in her wardrobe inside her bedroom at Flat C, 9/F,
Kam also put stuffed cash totaling $4,000 in banknotes of various denominations into 48 red packets which she kept in a table and her wardrobe inside her bedroom.
 |
| PRESS FOR DETAILS! |
On Oct 24, Kam discovered that the money inside the red packets was gone. Then, on Nov 7, she also could not find the earrings in her wardrobe.
The employer confronted Areola on Nov 22 and the helper admitted she had taken the money and the earrings.
On the same day, Kam dismissed the helper, who had been working for the family since January 2018. After some consideration, the employer decided to report the case to the police.
 |
| CLICK THIS TO REGISTER FOR FREE! |
The police launched a search for Areola and found her at
Under caution, the defendant admitted stealing the earrings
on Dec 5 last year and hocking them in a pawnshop in
 |
| Areola admitted stealing only $2,500 from the red packets |
As for the $4,000 cash, Areola admitted she had stolen $2,500 from the red packets inside the study and wardrobe between April 2021 and September 2021. The helper also said that she stole the earrings to repay some debts.
 |
| PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS |
The defendant was charged with theft and taken into custody on Nov 23.
The prosecution said police did a pawnshop check and found that
Areola had pawned the earrings last December at the
 |
| BASAHIN ANG KWENTONG DREAM LOVE |
In mitigation, the duty lawyer who represented Areola appealed for a lenient sentence. He said the helper was forced to steal to pay off debts and send money to her family.
But Tang said stealing from one’s employer inside her own home is a serious offense. He gave Areola a one-third discount for her guilty plea and sent her to prison for six months.
 |
| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
 |
| PADALA NA! |
 |
| CALL US! |
 |
