By DPA,
Hong Kong : A Chinese woman caught shoplifting in Hong Kong said she had lost most of her immediate family in the Sichuan earthquake and was stealing goods for surviving relatives, a news report said Friday.
Migrant Chung Siu-ling, 36, claimed her parents and brother-in-law had died in the May 12 earthquake and her elder brother and 10-year-old niece were injured and living in a tent.
She claimed she stole food, medicine and batteries from a shop in Hong Kong May 28, with the idea of taking them to her surviving relatives in Sichuan, the South China Morning Post reported.
Chung, who has four previous theft convictions, pleaded guilty to shoplifting at a hearing in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong Court Thursday, according to the newspaper.
Magistrate Josiah Lam adjourned sentence to July 4 to allow for reports to be prepared which should established whether or not Chung was telling the truth about her family tragedy.