Theft-aholic? Hong Kong 'professional' stole luxury handbags just six days after leaving jail
A serial thief was jailed for three years and 10 months yesterday for stealing luxury handbags worth more than HK$380,000 just six days after he was released from prison last December.
Passing sentence, District Court Judge David Dufton said that Ho Yiu-man, 30, was a "professional thief" and "targeted high value goods".
Dufton originally jailed the former truck driver, who had 30 prior theft convictions, for three years and eight months after his guilty plea to 15 counts of theft and one count of criminal damage.
The extra two months were imposed due to a previous six-month suspended sentence Ho was given because of his convictions for wasting police time in February last year.
Previously, the court heard that between December last year and March, Ho helped himself to 14 designer bags and wallets of various brands including Bvlgari and Prada, at stores in Tsim Sha Tsui, Admiralty and Central.
The most expensive item he stole was a Jitrois handbag valued at HK$253,000.
Over the same period, Ho also stole HK$1,443 from his employer while working as a delivery man, and took a colleague's iPhone at another company he later worked for.
The first offence in the current case was committed days after Ho's release from jail for stealing Chanel and Gucci bags.
The court also heard he damaged a sprinkler at a police station after he became emotional.
Before passing sentence yesterday, the judge had called for psychological and psychiatric reports, which said that Ho showed no psychotic symptoms, just a mild form of depression.
The reports also said stealing gave Ho a sense of achievement.
Dufton recommended Ho undergo psychological and psychiatric treatment while he was serving his sentence.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Lai Kwok-kwong said Ho had an unhappy childhood after being sent to a boarding school by his mother.
He said his client committed the offences due to his anti-social personality and ill temper.
