Lecturer gets jail sentence for using stolen Hong Kong ID in fare dodge bid
Police found student cards in college woman's bag after MTR staff stopped her at station
A college lecturer who "accidentally" presented another person's identity card when caught red-handed trying to get a bargain train journey was sentenced yesterday to two months in jail.
Chan Lai-yung, 32, initially tried to slip past the gates at Tai Wai station on April 4 with a discount Octopus card meant for the elderly, then showed an MTR Corporation staff member an ID card belonging to a "Miss Wong" when she was intercepted, Sha Tin Court heard.
Her failed attempts to pass off as other people led to police finding two student cards in her bag.
Chan, a Caritas Institute of Higher Education lecturer, later claimed the Octopus card was bought for her father. She pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft - over Miss Wong's ID card and the two student cards - and one count of using that ID card.
"Stealing an identity card is more serious than an Octopus card," Magistrate Cheung Kit-yee said, as it could mean someone's personal details were being compromised and exploited illegally.
Cheung fined Chan HK$2,000 for the two stolen student cards. Chan was granted bail pending an appeal.