A WOMAN accused of committing a series of lift robberies - one with her daughter and another with her boyfriend - failed to show up for trial in the District Court yesterday. An arrest warrant was issued for Lee Yuk-hing, 41, who was alleged to be the mastermind behind the robberies. She faces nine charges, including robbery and possession of dangerous drugs. Her boyfriend, Kam Koon-wing, 47, and her daughter, Leung Wai-man, 23, both pleaded guilty to one count of robbery each. Defence counsel Juliana Chow, in mitigation, said Kam committed the crime with Lee only because their six-year-old son was running a high temperature and he was 'desperate to find money for the son'. Kam was sentenced to 45 months for robbing Lung Wing-cheung of $350 in a lift with Lee on May 26, last year. Judge Lugar-Mawson said Kam, a chronic drug addict, was wasting his life as he had committed a number of offences such as illegal gambling over the past decade. But he said that for Kam to commit such a severe offence was out of character. He added police reports had suggested Lee was the mastermind behind the scheme as she was the one who used a paper cutter to threaten the victims. Leung pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a gold necklace and a gold pendant from Yip Yim-ming on May 28 last year. The judge adjourned sentencing of Leung, also a drug addict, to December 16 pending reports.
