Maid jailed for stealing diamond ring

Kwun Tong Law Courts Building

A Filipino domestic helper who stole a diamond ring of her employer and replaced it with a fake one was jailed for four months.

On Aug. 4, Kwun Tong Magistrate Raymund Chow Chi-wei sentenced M.A.S. Robles, 39, to six months in prison, but reduced it to four months after she pleaded guilty to the theft charge.

Robles’ employer on July 21 found that her diamond ring she hid in a drawer in their flat in Kwun Tong was missing. The ring was worth $20,000.

The employer then called the police, and when police officers arrived, Robles admitted stealing the ring and replacing with a fake one.

In mitigation, the Filipina’s duty lawyer submitted a medical report from the Philippines stating that the defendant’s 14-year-old daughter had a tooth extraction and a medical condition.

The duty lawyer added that Robles hoped to be allowed to go home to the Philippines soon to be re-united with her family.

However, Judge Chow rejected the report, saying it was hard to believe that the defendant could not provide more information about the supposed illness of her daughter.

“Defendant, what you committed is a serious offense and this is a case of breach of trust. Even without a previous record, there’s no reason not to impose a custodial sentence,” the judge told Robles.