Three children jailed for armed hold-up

BEIJING – Three Hong Kong children have been sentenced to more than three years for the armed hold-up of a jewellery shop, a newspaper said yesterday, with the court saying the stiff sentence was in the public interest.

Disguised with masks and caps, the two boys and one girl, all aged 14, threatened staff at the shop with knives in September last year, grabbing gold necklaces, bracelets and pendants valued at more than HK$1 million ($128,200). Sentencing the three, now aged 15, the judge said the offence was too serious to warrant a training centre term despite the age of the three, the South China Morning Post said.One boy, an apprentice to the mastermind goldsmith who had earlier been jailed for seven years, was sentenced to three years and seven months, while the other two, who are cousins, were jailed for three years and five months.Earlier this week, a court heard that a nine-year-old Hong Kong girl travelled alone into mainland China to collect heroin and bring it back in her rucksack for a drug trafficker who paid her HK$1,200.Nampa-ReutersSentencing the three, now aged 15, the judge said the offence was too serious to warrant a training centre term despite the age of the three, the South China Morning Post said.One boy, an apprentice to the mastermind goldsmith who had earlier been jailed for seven years, was sentenced to three years and seven months, while the other two, who are cousins, were jailed for three years and five months.Earlier this week, a court heard that a nine-year-old Hong Kong girl travelled alone into mainland China to collect heroin and bring it back in her rucksack for a drug trafficker who paid her HK$1,200.Nampa-Reuters

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.