A 30 year-old immigrant from the mainland has been sentenced to one year in jail after he pickpocketed an iPhone 6 Plus in a Yuen Long shopping mall. He claims he needed the money to take his ill 15-month-old daughter to hospital.
On Thursday, the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts judge expressed her sympathy with his plight, but sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment all the same.
In July, the man, surnamed Wong, stole a woman’s iPhone 6 Plus, worth around HKD8,000, at an electronics store in Yuen Long Plaza.
Wong, who reportedly came to Hong Kong a decade ago, pleaded guilty.
He showed up to court holding his baby daughter, who remained quiet throughtout the proceedings, reports Apple Daily.
When Judge Chow asked him why he brought his daughter to court, Wong softly replied that he is raising the child, who has congenital heart defects, all by himself and that no one could take care of her.
According to his attorney, Wong is married and has a four-year-old son. Both live in mainland China. Wong claims to have no relatives in Hong Kong.
Wong added that he was meant to take his daughter from their home in Yuen Long to Queen Mary Hospital, in Pok Fu Lam, on the day that he was caught pickpocketing the phone.
However, Wong says he did not have enough money even for transportation or to buy baby formula.
He could not even afford to pay the HKD100 bail, and a kind policeman lent the money to him.
The day after his arrest, Wong was granted HKD3,000 in government aid. Later, on Aug. 15,, he was accepted into the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme.
His lawyer said now he is receiving government help, Wong is unlikely to become a repeat offender, and thus asked for a lenient sentence.
The judge showed sympathy for the defendant, but bluntly stated that “sympathy is just sympathy”, adding that she must follow the law and sentence Wong to one year in jail.
Wong took the decision badly, twice screaming, “Give me a chance”.
Eventually a policeman had to lead Wong and his daughter out of the courtroom.
Reporting: Priscilla Yu
Photo: Christian Scheja via Flickr
