A woman yesterday escaped being tried on a charge of handling stolen goods because of jurisdictional problems as the alleged offence was committed in Macau.
The case against Chan Yuen-mui, 24, was left on file, meaning the Department of Justice decided not to proceed after District Court Judge Peter Line pointed out that Hong Kong courts could not prosecute someone for receiving goods in Macau that were stolen in Hong Kong.
Four other defendants in the same case were convicted of robbery after pleading guilty to the charge and three of them - Ma Pui-hong, 26, Cheung Man-yiu, 23, and Sha Kai-lun, 25 - were sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
The fourth defendant, Ho Kwok-ho, will be sentenced after the court receives a report from the Drug Addiction Treatment Centre.
The court heard that in April last year, the four men robbed club manager Lai Chui-yee of a handbag, wallet, cash, her ID and Octopus cards, a Rolex watch and a mobile phone.
Ms Lai was walking on Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, at 4.30am on April 4 when she was seized from behind by Ma, who grabbed her neck and eyes while Sha covered her mouth. One of the men punched her in the face as her belongings were stolen.