A Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to three months in prison for stealing her employer’s jewelry valued close to HK$20,000 (P124,481).
According to a report by Hong Kong News, Eastern Principal Magistrate Joseph To sentenced Arabella A.V. the jail term for stealing wrist chain ($7,000), a pendant ($1,400), a necklace ($5,000), and another wrist chain ($5,000) from her employer who lives in Happy Valley.

“Inaamin ko po (I admit to it),” Arabella tearfully told the judge. The stolen pieces of jewelry, which were pawned, were not recovered.

Arabella started working for the victim in May 2013. But on January 10, the first of a series of thefts took place as she reportedly stole the wrist chain and pawned it. Seven days later, she took the pendant; on February 7, the necklace, and then on April 9, she stole another wrist chain.

The thefts were only discovered when Arabella’s employer terminated her for not tending to her job properly. Right when the employer told her to pack her things, she saw four pawnshop receipts near the maid’s bed.

The employer confronted Arabella, who admitted to stealing the pieces of jewelry and pawning them.
The police arrived and arrested the domestic worker, but when investigators checked with the pawnshops, the stolen pieces of jewelry were already gone.

According to the defendant’s lawyer, 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,” the lawyer said, adding that his client was remorseful and asked for leniency from the judge. Arabella was eventually granted one-third discount of her prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to charges.

The lawyer also said that Arabella is married and has seven children aged between 7 and 23, and four of them are in school. Her husband is suffering from hernia and is unemployed, the lawyer added

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