French woman fined for stealing S$32,800 handbag

SINGAPORE: A French woman who stole a Ralph Lauren bag worth S$32,800 was fined S$8,000.

Olivia Lemercier Maurice, 42, who suffers from kleptomania, was sentenced on September 12.

Her case was originally scheduled for mention on Wednesday.

However, her lawyer informed the media on Wednesday that she was found guilty of one count of theft and fined on September 12.

Lemercier stole the handbag from a Ralph Lauren shop at Marina Bay Sands on July 30.

She and her family were in Singapore on holiday when she committed the offence.

According to court documents, she saw the bag on a mannequin and "took an instant liking to it".

The court heard that without thinking, she took the bag off the mannequin and put it into her own bag.

Her lawyer, Mr Raymond Lye, said his client was shocked when she found out about the price of the bag.

Lemercier was later arrested in transit at Changi Airport on August 19.

She spent a week in lock—up in Singapore.

The prosecution had earlier argued for a jail sentence, citing the value of the handbag.

However, Mr Lye argued that rehabilitation was the primary focus and urged the court to impose a sentence that would allow Lemercier to start her treatment in France as soon as possible.

Channel NewsAsia understands that she returned to France on the day she was sentenced and will be seeking treatment.

Under the law here, offenders could be jailed up to three years and fined.

— CNA/cc