A man who admits stealing 14 designer handbags and wallets shortly after serving a prison sentence for similar crimes has told a Hong Kong court that he was driven to the act because of his troubled upbringing.
Ho Yiu-man, 30, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of theft at Hong Kong’s District Court yesterday, admitting he stole 14 bags and wallets from high-end stores including Bulgari and Prada between last December and March this year.
Either Ho had a very packed closet or a LOT of happy gal pals!
The former trucker, who had only been released from jail for one day before committing the latest batch of thefts, also stole HKD1,443 from an employer and an iPhone from a colleague.
Ho’s lawyer Lai Kwok-kwong told the court on Monday that his client had suffered with depression and suicidal thoughts in the past.
“[Ho] said to me that he was forced to commit the offences repeatedly because of his illness,” Lai told the court, according to the SCMP.
Ho said his father used to beat him as a child and that he was sent against his will to a boarding school in mainland China after his parents’ divorce.
Judge David Dufton said prison was likely for the 30-year-old, who has 30 prior convictions for theft. He added that Ho is not a kleptomaniac, as people with this illness generally steal low-value goods.
Ho will be sentenced on Sept. 11 after a report into his mental well being.
Photo: Harry Lawford
