One-year wait for theft trial of Filipina asylum-seeker

 

The trial of the theft & robbery cases will be held next year at the District Court

A Filipina will face trial at the District Court next year for theft, along with a fellow non-refoulement claimant charged with a second case of robbing an elderly street-sleeper of cash and valuables in August 2022.

Cheryl de Vera, 39 years old, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing, together with Sidhu Brar Gurmuk Singh, 29 years old, an Octopus card and $600 cash from a car parked in front of Showboat Mansion in Quarry Bay on Aug. 28, 2022.

How? Pindutin ito!

A third accused person, Gursewak Singh, also 29, was not on the dock at the hearing earlier today, Jan. 30.

The two male defendants face a more serious case of robbery against Tsui Tai-on, an elderly cardboard collector, from whom a waist bag with a HKID, senior ID, a house key, Octopus card, mobile phone and $16,000 were allegedly taken on in the early hours of Aug. 22, 2022 in Kowloon City.

TAWAG NA!

Newspaper reports at the time said the 74-year-old woman was sitting at about 3am on a flight of stairs outside Kowloon City Plaza at the junction of Lion Rock Road and Carpenter Road in Kowloon City sorting out used carton boxes when two men approached.

One of them reportedly sat next to the victim and talked to her before stealing her waist bag while the other approached from behind and covered her mouth to prevent her from shouting.

PINDUTIN

Reports later said one suspect was arrested in connection with the case on Sept. 2 but the other man, said to be his friend, remained at large.

In court today, De Vera and Gurmuk Singh, who were both represented by veteran lawyers, were allowed to renew their bail of $2,000 each until the December pre-trial review of their cases.

The unusually long adjournment was proposed by the defense team, and was readily approved by District Judge CP Pang. No explanation was said in court. 

The trial will last for five days from, Jan. 13-Jan. 17, 2025. Before this, a pre-trial review of the cases will be held on Dec. 5, 2024.

The prosecution said it will present as witnesses two civilians and three police officers during the first three days of trial. The defendants, on the other hand, are expected to challenge their cautioned statements during which they supposedly admitted guilt.

A Punjabi interpreter will again be called to assist Singh while De Vera will have a Tagalog interpreter by her side.

PADALA NA!

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