Bank exec fined $1,000 over stun gun

West Kowloon Law Courts Building

A Filipina bank executive who recently toured Hong Kong was fined $1,000 after she was found to have a stun gun in her purse.

C.M.J. Herrero on Oct. 18 pleaded guilty to the charge of bringing the weapon into Hong Kong.

The court heard that on Oct. 17, an x-ray check on Herrero’s bag at the Terminal 1 of the Hong Kong International Airport revealed an electronic stunning device in her handcarry bag.

After a manual search at the Filipina’s bag, the stunning device was found.

The defendant then told the officer that she brought the stun gun for P250 in the Philippines two years ago, and that she forgot to take it out of her bag when she visited to Hong Kong.

She also said that she did not know that bringing a stunning device into Hong Kong was illegal.

“You’re convicted as charged,” said Acting Principal Magistrate So Wai-Tak of the West Kowloon Courts after the defendant’s plea.

In mitigation,  Herrero’s duty lawyer told the court the Filipina was a credit analyst at a bank in the Philippines and was earning a monthly income of $8,000 (some P50,000).

“The defendant is  25 years old and works at a bank. The stunning device was in her bag to be used for self-defense,” the lawyer said.

He added that the Filipina came to Hong Kong with her family and that she previously had a clear record in the city.

After hearing the mitigation put forward by the duty lawyer, Judge So decided to impose the fine, which was the same amount that Herrero posted as police bail.