By Daisy CL Mandap
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| The chocolate theft happened in this Wellcome store in Central. (photo from hongkonghomes) |
A 38-year-old Filipina permanent resident with a string
of criminal convictions was sentenced to three months in jail on Thursday for
stealing 17 packs of chocolates and a bottle each of shampoo and conditioner
from a Wellcome Supermarket in Central.
But Gladys de Vera, a single mother with a history of
drug dependence, was acquitted after trial in Eastern Court of another count of
theft that allegedly happened a few hours before she was caught red-handed on
Jun 22 last year.
The stolen items amounting to $1,095 in total were
found in an blue eco bag that she was carrying when she left the supermarket
located in the basement of Regent Centre in Central.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
In the morning of that day, the manager of the shop called
Mr So told the court he noticed that a lot of chocolate packs were missing from
the shelves. The CCTV footage taken from the shop showed a woman had taken them
after lingering just outside the store
So told the staff to watch out for the woman, and at
2:30pm of the same day the assistant manager, Mr Ho, saw someone resembling her
enter the store.
Ho said he saw the woman take chocolates and some
shampoo and conditioner, and put them in her trolley. She left without paying
for the items.
When stopped just outside the store, the defendant was
speaking on the phone, and said she had had been distracted by the phone call
that she forgot to pay for the goods. She offered to pay for them but the staff
called the police and she was arrested.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
For the first charge, the prosecution said 29 packs of
chocolates were stolen as well as shampoo and conditioner. It was also alleged
that the woman shown on CCTV that morning was the defendant.
De Vera pleaded not guilty to both theft charges,
saying there was no evidence that it was she who took the goods in the first
count. She did not dispute the CCTV footage of her taking items from the
shelves in the second count, but claimed she had not intended to steal them.
In his verdict, Magistrate Gary Chu ruled that in the
first count there was doubt as to the identity of the woman in the CCTV as it
did not show her face, nor of how much was taken from the shelves. The CCTV
also showed the woman taking away some hair gel, but there was no allegation
about this against the defendant.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Thus, he ruled that the prosecution had failed to
prove beyond reasonable doubt that De Vera was the one who committed the
alleged theft in count number one.
But for the second charge, the defendant was said to
have been caught red-handed, with two staff at the store testifying that they
saw her take the items which were found in her bag after she left without paying.
In mitigation, the defense lawyer asked for a lenient
sentence for De Vera, saying her drug dependence was what made her steal.
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| Press for details |
According to the defense lawyer, De Vera used to work
as a bartender and was earning between $16,000 and $17,000 a month.
“She worked in bars, maybe that was where she came
into contact with drugs,” said the defense lawyer, who called De Vera a “victim” because of her drug dependence.
Recently, the defendant reportedly finished four
months in a drug detention facility, and is now said to be drug-free. Her
lawyer asked the magistrate to consider that she was in some sort of detention
recently in coming up with the appropriate sentence.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
He also told the court that De Vera’s 17-year-old son had recently figured in a motorcycle accident in the Philippines, and the defendant wanted to be able to go home soon to be with him.
Magistrate Chu said that for repeat offenders a prison
sentence was inevitable. He also said that judging from the quantity of goods
that was stolen it was obvious that the defendant had intended to sell
them.
He said the sentence of three months is prescribed for
cases of thefts where the amount involved is $100 or more.
“Having regard to all the circumstances I will impose three months’ imprisonment,” he said.
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