Sister stole her Rolex, gold to cover trading losses

Sister stole her Rolex, gold to cover trading losses

SINGAPORE - A sales assistant stole her sister's $10,000 Rolex watch and gold jewellery after running up debts while trading shares.

Damaris Fe Jenny Sim Lay Ping, 46, took the valuables from a bedroom while her elder sibling was on holiday. She then pawned them for $15,350, which she used to cover her trading losses.

On Tuesday, Sim was fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to theft.

The court heard she stole the items from the home of her 47-year-old sister, who was on a month-long holiday in the United States with her pilot husband.

When the couple returned to their Jurong West house in October 2011, they found the watch missing from the dressing table.

The wife confronted their Indonesian maid, who told her the younger sister had stayed over several times. She searched the house and found the gold jewellery had vanished from a locked drawer.

The spare keys, which were kept in the storeroom, were also missing. She called the police and the trail led to Sim.

On Tuesday, the court heard that the sales assistant had a history of depression with suicidal tendencies.

She has been forgiven by her elder sister, who even wrote to the court pleading for leniency.

Sim, who has paid back the $15,350 she got from pawning the goods, was allowed to settle the fine in instalments.

She paid $3,000 on Tuesday and will give the rest in two monthly payments of $6,000 each.

The maximum penalty for theft is three years in prison and a fine.


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