FDH jailed for stealing more than $5,000 from colleague
Hong Kong International Airport
A 28-year-old returning overseas Filipino worker admitted this lunchtime (March 19) that she stole more than $5,000 from a fellow domestic worker.
Jenny Anne G.N., 28, pleaded guilty to one count of theft at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts after she made several withdrawals and stole $5,830 from the bank account of Lilian B.C., who also worked for her previous employer.
“This is not a one-off incident or a just moment of greed. You made withdrawals a number of times,” Eastern Presiding Magistrate Peter Law told the defendant.
The judge sentenced Jenny Anne to three months in prison.
The prosecutor said the defendant stole the victim’s ATM card and the written ATM code from the drawer which she had shared with the victim.
He said Jenny Anne made 12 withdrawals and nine deposits using the victim’s ATM card between June 13 and August 24 last year.
“(Lilian) did not give her the authority to use the ATM card,” the prosecutor said.
The victim noticed the withdrawals on August 25 when she had her passbook updated and saw the 21 suspicious transactions.
The matter was reported to the police and, when they checked the CCTV footage, Jenny Anne was seen using the card to make the illegal withdrawals.
When the defendant came back here on March 10 to work for a new employer in Sai Kung, she was arrested after landing at the Hong Kong International Airport.
Jenny Anne’s lawyer told the court that she stole from her colleague due to the medical expenses of her son, who has a kidney problem.
The defendant earned $4,400 a month and she regularly sent money to her parents; 29-year-old husband, who is a construction worker; and their seven-year-old son back in the Philippines.
“The defendant is remorseful. She did it because of financial pressure because her son has a kidney problem and water retention,” the lawyer said.
“His medical expenses are very expensive. She asks the court for leniency and she is unable to compensate (the victim),” he added.
Judge Law said Jenny Anne should have been jailed for four and a half months but, because of her guilty plea, this was reduced to three months.