A 31-year-old domestic helper has been sentenced to nine months in jail after she stole over $26,000 worth of jewellery and cash from her employer’s home—and then tried to cover up the crime by staging a fake break-in.
Doniego Fleiry Ann Ramos, a Filipino national working in Singapore, pleaded guilty to two charges: theft as a servant and obstructing the course of justice. The theft took place on March 28, 2024.
That day, Ramos had been instructed to help clean the home of her employer’s brother. After completing the task, she returned to her employer’s residence sometime after 5pm. Upon arriving, she discovered that no one was home and the door was unlocked.
Instead of waiting or alerting her employer, Ramos took the opportunity to steal more than $1,400 in cash along with diamond rings, bracelets, and necklaces that were later valued at over $26,000. She then attempted to cover up her actions by making it appear as if the house had been broken into.
To do so, she scattered several jewellery boxes on the floor to create the impression of a ransacked room. She also hid $700 of her own money, intending to falsely claim it had been stolen too. After setting the scene, Ramos called her employer and claimed she had returned home but did not have a key to unlock the door.
Her employer told her to come back to the brother’s home so they could return together. When they arrived home at around 9pm, they discovered the setup that Ramos had staged. Believing it to be a genuine break-in, the employer promptly called the police.
Ramos continued her deception when officers arrived, insisting that her own belongings had also been stolen in the supposed burglary. She repeated this false story in a police statement taken about two weeks later, on April 12.
However, when she was interviewed again later, investigators pressed her on the inconsistencies in her account. It was then that Ramos finally broke down and confessed to the theft and the staged scene.
Under Singapore law, theft by a domestic worker or servant from an employer is treated as a serious offence, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a fine. Additionally, attempting to obstruct the course of justice—such as by faking a crime scene and lying to authorities—also carries a potential jail term of up to seven years, along with a fine.
The court considered that Ramos had made restitution and cooperated with investigations after her confession, but emphasized the serious breach of trust involved, especially as she was entrusted with care of the household.
The case is one of several in recent years highlighting the complex dynamics between domestic workers and employers in Singapore. It serves as a reminder of the high expectations placed on trust and integrity in such working relationships, and the legal consequences when that trust is violated.
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