FDH jailed for stealing jewelry in Happy Valley
Eastern Magistracy in Sai Wan Ho
Her stay in Happy Valley ended sadly.
A 40-year-old Filipino domestic worker in Happy Valley was imprisoned for stealing nearly $20,000 worth of jewelry from her employer.
Eastern Principal Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing on October 4 sentenced Arabella A.V. to three months in prison for stealing a wrist chain ($7,000), a pendant ($1,400), a necklace ($5,000), and another wrist chain ($5,000) from her employer in 91 Wong Nai Chung Road.
“Inaamin ko po (I admit to it),” Arabella tearfully told the judge. The stolen pieces of jewelry, which were pawned, were not recovered.
The prosecution said the thefts happened between January and April of this year at the victim’s home.
Arabella started working as a domestic worker for the victim in May 2013. On January 10, she stole the first wrist chain (worth $7,000) and pawned it.
Seven days later, she took the pendant; on February 7, the necklace, and then on April 9, the last wrist chain.
The thefts were discovered only after her employer terminated Arabella early last month because she was becoming lousy at work.
The employer told her to immediately pack her things and, when the victim checked the defendant’s room, she saw four pawn tickets near her bed.
The employer confronted Arabella, who admitted to stealing the pieces of jewelry and pawning them.
The police arrived and arrested the domestic worker. When investigators checked with the pawnshops, the stolen pieces of jewelry were already gone.
Arabella’s lawyer said she stole the jewelry because of greed and “financial pressure” from her family back in the Philippines.
“She committed it out of greed as well as due to the financial pressure from her family. That is why she behaved stupidly,” he said.
The lawyer said Arabella was remorseful and asked for leniency from the judge, who gave her a one-third discount on her jail sentence for her guilty plea.
The defendant has a 45-year-old husband back in the Philippines who is unemployed because he has a hernia, her lawyer said.
They have seven children—aged 7 to 23—and four of them are still in school, he added.