Coronavirus: domestic helper jailed four weeks as Hong Kong courts hear first mask theft case since outbreak began
- The 35-year-old Indonesian, named Masriki, was spotted and arrested while making her third visit to the Causeway Bay shop in 90 minutes
- ‘At this difficult time, it’s time to help – not rob, steal or defraud. She’s out of her mind,’ magistrate says
An Indonesian domestic helper has been jailed for four weeks in the first mask theft case to hit Hong Kong’s courts since the deadly coronavirus first gripped the city.
The 35-year-old, named Masriki, on Monday was found guilty of stealing 5,500 masks while posing as their rightful buyer during a pair of trips to a small Causeway Bay shop on February 14.
Masriki was ordered to compensate the second of her two victims HK$12,000 (US$1,544) by March 9 for 3,500 stolen masks, or serve another 10 days in prison. The first batch of 2,000 masks was recovered and returned to their owner.
The case was the first among a string of mask thefts to be brought to court, as the city struggles to solve an acute shortage driven by fears surrounding Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
At Monday’s hearing at Tuen Mun Court, Masriki’s defence counsel pleaded for leniency, saying the helper faced financial difficulties at home, but Magistrate Kelly Shui said imprisonment was necessary.