A domestic helper was caught stealing her employer's Hermes handbag last July and was arrested after the employer called the police.

While being investigated, she stole jewellery on two occasions while working as a part-time cleaner, and pawned it off to send money to her family in the Philippines.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of theft on Jul. 12 and was sentenced to a six-month jail term, reported Shin Min Daily News.

First theft

On Jul. 23, 2023, she took the handbag from a room in her employer's home and hid it in her own room.

The next day, her employer, 48, discovered that the bag was missing, and questioned her. The bag was discovered in the helper's room.

She initially denied stealing the bag, but eventually confessed to the crime. The employer called the police, and the helper was arrested.

Second theft

After getting arrested, the woman lived in a shelter while under police investigation.

During this time, she took up a part-time job as a cleaner.

On Oct. 8, 2023, she was tasked to clean a 31-year-old female's home.

While cleaning, she chanced upon a jewellery box and stole five gold items – a necklace, a pendant, a bracelet, a pair of earrings and a diamond ring.

She pawned the items for S$1,430 and remitted the money back to her family in the Philippines.

The victim discovered that her jewellery was missing the next day. After a failing to find it over the next few days, she reported the theft to the police on Oct. 12.

The police found her jewellery at the pawn shop.

Third theft

On Apr, 10, 2024, the woman stole a Cartier ring worth S$1,660 from a 39-year-old man while cleaning his home.

She pawned the ring for S$280 and sent the money back home again.

The man called the police the next day after he discovered that the ring was missing.

The woman was arrested on May 3 and recovered the man's ring from the pawn shop.

Top photo via Sabrianna/Unsplash and Hermes