《Singapore Daily News Sep 21》A Filipina domestic worker who repeatedly stole cash and jewelry worth over S$4,000 from her employer’s unlocked safe has been sentenced to two months in jail after pleading guilty.

36-year-old Castro, the maid in question, faced two counts of theft. She pleaded guilty to one charge on September 20, while the other was taken into consideration during sentencing.

According to court documents, Castro had been employed since 2023 by a family of four living in a condominium unit along West Coast Road, where her duties included cooking and household chores.

The theft came to light on August 12 this year when the 38-year-old female employer discovered that cash and jewelry were missing from the home safe while trying to retrieve some Chinese yuan. She immediately lodged a police report.

Investigations revealed that Castro began stealing from March 2025, taking advantage of the fact that the safe was stored inside an unlocked cupboard and not fully secured. Between March and August, she committed theft at least five times, stealing a total of S$4,346 worth of cash and valuables.

She pawned some of the jewelry for cash and remitted the stolen funds to the Philippines, where her husband used the money to cover medical bills and support their two children.

Castro was arrested on August 18 and formally charged in court two days later. She has been in remand since then.

In addition to the two-month jail sentence, the court also ordered her to compensate her employer S$1,871.