AN audio-visual equipment salesman was given a two-year prison sentence yesterday for burglary, despite his counsel stressing that he was only 19 years old when he committed the offence. Wong Yau-pan, now 21, admitted to Deputy Judge Day that he had broken into a Happy Valley flat and stolen $9,860 in valuables and cash from two sisters. The District Court was told that Wong and two accomplices passed the sisters' neighbour, Christophe Franck Sassier, on the staircase when they were leaving the building. Having found his door also wide open, Mr Sassier chased after them and caught Wong on the street. Wong was carrying a briefcase containing the stolen loot. Defence counsel Allen Lam in mitigation told the court that Wong had been a drug addict and had affiliated with a triad society when he was still at school. However, Wong was now determined to start a new life, Mr Lam said, and asked the court to give his client a chance. Passing sentence, Deputy Judge Day said domestic burglary was a serious offence. However, he took into account Wong's youth and reduced the sentence from a maximum of three years to two. The court heard that the burglary occurred on March 10 last year when the two sisters, Lai Shuet-fong, 28, and Lai Pui-fong, 25, were away from home.
