The cash delivery man who pulled a sickie to steal HKD1.68 million from an ATM was sentenced to 26 months in prison yesterday.
Man Koon-sun pleaded guilty to one count of theft in District Court last week. The 31-year-old worked as a cash delivery man for Brink’s, HSBC’s security company… until he used his company key to commit a massive theft, obviously.
Man confessed to calling in sick on Jan. 21, waiting until his colleagues had filled up the ATMs at Domain Mall in Yau Tong, and nicking two cash boxes stuffed with 1,700 HKD500 notes.
At the time, Man deflected suspicion from the mall’s security guards by telling them he was called Chi-man, which is actually his colleague’s name. Way to pass the buck, Man (figuratively of course, he kept all the cash for himself).
In mitigation last week, Man’s lawyer said the divorced father had “quite a heavy financial burden”, as he had to set aside HKD8,000 of his HKD14,000 salary every month for his ex-wife, son, and parents.
During sentencing yesterday, Judge Gary Lam said, “Time and time again the court has expressly said financial burden is not a mitigating factor,” and called the defendant’s crime “planned and premeditated”.
However, in acknowledgement of Man’s guilty plea and the fact that most of the cash was recovered, Lam reduced Man’s original sentence of 42 months, SCMP reports.
Man was arrested on Jan. 27 and HKD1.1 million in cash was recovered from his home in Ma On Shan, after officers identified him in CCTV footage from his “distinctive” white Nike Jordans. Under police caution, the 31-year-old said he had taken the missing HKD.07 million to Shenzhen to launch a food franchise with his girlfriend.
In court yesterday, senior public prosecutor Simon Kwong said around HKD88,415 remains missing, but around HKD480,000 (RMB405,090) was handed back to Brink’s by the Public Security Bureau in Shenzhen.
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