An Indonesian domestic helper named Marlina has been sentenced to two weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to stealing her employer’s silver wedding ring with a diamond stone, valued at S$170.
On top of this charge, another charge for stealing her employer’s red packets worth S$250 was taken into consideration for sentencing.
The 39-year-old domestic helper had taken five red packets from her employer, each containing S$50, sometime in February 2024, according to the report.
On April 22, 2024, Marlina noticed her employer’s wardrobe drawer in her bedroom was unlocked. She took the opportunity to steal the wedding ring and pawned it at a ValueMax outlet in Tampines.
In a bid to avoid getting caught, Marlina bought a S$5 ring from Shopee and placed it in the wardrobe drawer to replace the stolen wedding ring. However, her employer eventually discovered the switch and confronted Marlina, who admitted to the theft.
The incident was reported to the police by Marlina’s employer, leading to the sentencing of the domestic helper to two weeks’ jail for her crimes.
Marlina, who did not have legal representation, pleaded for leniency through an interpreter, expressing remorse for her actions and expressing a desire to return home as soon as possible.
District Judge Luke Tan observed that Marlina had stolen from her employer twice in a short period of time, and had gone to great lengths to conceal her theft of the wedding ring.
Under the law, anyone convicted of theft from their employer can face up to seven years in jail and be fined.
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