A cleaner who stole HK$6,500 from a roast-meat shop in Shau Kei Wan has been jailed for five months.
The money was taken from the shop on Kam Wa Street on 22 March 2024. The owner had placed HK$6,000 in a metal cabinet near the entrance and another HK$500 in small-denomination notes in a wooden box. After entering the kitchen, the owner discovered that the cash was missing, reported the theft to police and later posted CCTV footage online.
The 38-year-old cleaner pleaded guilty to one theft charge at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts. He was first arrested on 28 March 2024, but was told on 6 January 2025 that he would be released unconditionally because of insufficient evidence. He was arrested again on 15 May 2026 and was sentenced on 18 September.
The Chief Magistrate said the case was not complicated and that repeated requests by prosecutors for legal advice had caused unreasonable delay. The court reduced part of the sentence to reflect that delay.
The cleaner had several previous dishonest-conviction records, including a 2023 burglary case. The magistrate did not treat the record as an aggravating factor after the defence said he intended to reform.
The shop owner later told the media that police had said there was insufficient evidence and that nobody had been charged at that stage. The owner subsequently complained to police. Under the court order, the HK$6,500 is to be repaid in four instalments within one month after the cleaner's release.