Pinay jailed for taking face masks

SHE was originally given a suspended sentence, but then she committed two theft offenses and she ended up with about three months in jail.

Eastern Magistracy Acting Principal Magistrate So wai-tak on August 18 sentenced L.L. Retrita to four weeks in prison after she pleaded guilty to two theft charges. The prosecution alleged that 42-year-old Retrita, with a Filipino male companion, stole 12 boxes of facial masks worth $1,036; and five boxes of facial masks worth $315 from a 7-11 convenience store on King’s Road in North Point on July 24. The items were not recovered. The prosecution said that when 7-11 manager Yiu K.N. was checking the store’s stock at 9:13 a.m. on July 24, she found that 12 boxes of facial masks were missing from the display rack. Upon checking the CCTV, she saw Retrita and her co-defendant M.A. Baybay, 28, took the items at 2:15 a.m. on that day without paying for them.

Meanwhile, at 1:23 p.m. manager S.T. Wong at another 7-11 – in Kam Hong Street, North Point – found that five boxes of facial masks were missing. Upon checking the CCTV footage, it was revealed that Retrita and her co-defendant took the items without paying for them.

On July 27, police officers arrested Retrita and Baybay.Under caution, Baybay, who had faced other theft cases at the Eastern Magistracy, admitted to committing the offenses, while Retrita remained silent. A search on Retrita’s house found a white raincoat, which she was wearing when she and Baybay took the items. Mitigating, Retrita’s duty lawyer said the defendant was “very remorseful” and that the offenses were not pre-meditated.

“She is willing to make compensation to the victims four weeks from release from prison,” the duty lawyer said, while the defendant was in the dock during the court proceedings. The duty lawyer also said the defendant, who is a recognizance holder, has a five-year-old son in Hong Kong.

“She wants to be able to take care of her son soon,” the duty lawyer said. Judge So, however, noted that the defendant had a suspended sentence of two months for 18 months owing to breach of condition of stay. Judge So said the starting point of jail term for the two theft charges was six weeks, but reduced it to four weeks following Retrita’s guilty plea.

But the magistrate said he would be activating the suspended sentence on Retrita, ordering the defendant be jailed two months and four weeks.