Hong Kong police were able to arrest a 20-year-old student who stole money from a Filipino woman along St. Jude’s Church in North Point. According to reports, this is not the first time that the man got involved in a similar incident.
The suspect was identified as Harry James S., who stole from a food expo worker identified only as M.S Florentino.
“I plead guilty,” the film student told the Eastern Presiding Magistrate Peter Law on the hearing which happened last September 18.
The first incident involving the defendant happened at St. Jude’s Church around 5 in the evening on July 29.
The first victim was a Filipina church volunteer. According to reports, the guard spotted the defendant wandering around 4:35 p.m., however, around 5:03 p.m., the man entered the room on the second floor of the church. He stayed there for about five minutes.
As it turns out, the defendant took the wallet of the church volunteer after the latter left the room. The guard intercepted the defendant and found out that he tucked in the wallet of the victim containing at least $7,000 and identification cards.
“The defendant had studied kindergarten there and visited because (he and his family) are leaving Hong Kong. He felt nostalgic and so he had a look around,” says the lawyer of the defendant.
“There is no evidence to show that (the thief) was premeditated and the stolen item was returned to the owner,” the lawyer added.
He got a chance to post a bail following his arrest. However, another thief incident happened and this time, he stole $31,000 inside the wallet of a staff worker.
When the police searched the defendant’s house, they recovered $22,370.
“He has expressed remorse and his month-long stay in prison has been a shock to him. He regrets the breakdown of his ties between him and his parents and friends,” says the suspect’s lawyer.
The judge in charge of the case called for probation and community service before his sentencing.
