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Security guard jailed six years and two months for tying up woman and stealing HK$40,000
A security guard who bound a woman and sealed her mouth with tape before taking her ATM card and withdrawing HK$40,000 was on Wednesday jailed for six years and two months for robbery and theft, as the judge stressed ordinary citizens walking home alone shouldn't have such a terrifying experience.
The incident occurred around 4am on November 10, 2021, when 39-year-old Lam Fai-nam approached the victim, surnamed So, from behind and brandished his cutter knife on the corridor at Oi Tung Estate in Aldrich Bay, Shau Kei Wan.
Appearing before judge Esther Toh Lye-ping in the High Court this morning, Lam pleaded guilty to theft and robbery.
Toh noted the serious nature of the case but said Lam, financially troubled at the time, showed remorse for his wrongdoings. Lam committed the crime alone, and although he wielded the cutter knife, he didn't injure So. Lam also wrote a letter to So to apologize to her, Toh added.
Yet, Lam did tie So up and seal her mouth with tape, stole So's ATM card, and withdrew HK$40,000, Toh pointed out.
Given that Lam pleaded guilty and saved So from appearing in court to recall her nightmare, Toh put Lam behind bars for six years and two months.
The court earlier heard that So first gave Lam HK$90 in cash, then her ATM card and the passcode as instructed by Lam.
So was brought to a park nearby, where Lam bound her to the fence railing of a slide and sealed her mouth with tape. Lam then headed to two ATMs and withdrew HK$40,000.
As So successfully freed herself, she sought help from a guard of the housing estate. She also filed a police report after calling the card center and finding Lam had already withdrawn the money from her bank account.
After being arrested, Lam admitted to robbing So with his cutter knife and throwing away the ATM card after withdrawing the money.
Appearing before judge Esther Toh Lye-ping in the High Court this morning, Lam pleaded guilty to theft and robbery.
Toh noted the serious nature of the case but said Lam, financially troubled at the time, showed remorse for his wrongdoings. Lam committed the crime alone, and although he wielded the cutter knife, he didn't injure So. Lam also wrote a letter to So to apologize to her, Toh added.
Yet, Lam did tie So up and seal her mouth with tape, stole So's ATM card, and withdrew HK$40,000, Toh pointed out.
Given that Lam pleaded guilty and saved So from appearing in court to recall her nightmare, Toh put Lam behind bars for six years and two months.
The court earlier heard that So first gave Lam HK$90 in cash, then her ATM card and the passcode as instructed by Lam.
So was brought to a park nearby, where Lam bound her to the fence railing of a slide and sealed her mouth with tape. Lam then headed to two ATMs and withdrew HK$40,000.
As So successfully freed herself, she sought help from a guard of the housing estate. She also filed a police report after calling the card center and finding Lam had already withdrawn the money from her bank account.
After being arrested, Lam admitted to robbing So with his cutter knife and throwing away the ATM card after withdrawing the money.
