A 20-year-old German model pleaded guilty to one charge of theft at the Eastern Magistrates’ Court in Hong Kong on Friday for taking items a Filipino had left behind in a shop in Causeway Bay.
Melina Budde appeared in court with no defense lawyer and apologized to the court after she was convicted by magistrate Peter Law, sunwebhk.com reported.
The court heard that on April 20, Budde made off with a bag containing a Panasonic cooker and Tefal hair straightener at the Gourmet Food Hall at the Leighton Center. The electrical appliances belonged to Filipina Cristina M Escalona, who returned to the shop shortly after discovering she lost the bag.
Investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage in the area until they traced Budde’s residence and found the missing appliances there.
The magistrate imposed a fine of HK$5,000 (US$636) and ordered Budde to pay within one week. Budde said she would ask her parents to send her the money.
Budde said she was due to fly out of Hong Kong on June 30, so magistrate Law warned her she would be in deep trouble if she left without paying her fine.
Tsk tsk tsk