Former flight attendant fined for misusing colleague’s credit card

SINGAPORE — A former SilkAir flight attendant who racked up a bill of more than S$1,000 on her colleague’s credit card was fined S$7,500 on Monday (July 16).

Jocelyn Yee Poh Ying – who bought hair styling equipment, perfume and food and drinks during her week-long spending spree – pleaded guilty to four charges of cheating, as well as one charge under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act.

Nine other similar charges, including one for theft, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Yee, 24, was working on the same SilkAir flight as Ms Kelly Yap on Oct 30 last year. On board the flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to Singapore, she noticed an unattended handbag at the gallery area used by flight attendants.

She stole S$30 in cash and a credit card from a wallet in the handbag, which she later found belonged to Ms Yap.

In the space of a week, she chalked up S$1,144.98 using the card.

Yee would sign the charge slip as “Kelly” to avoid detection and her offences only came to light when her transaction at a nightclub triggered a text alert to Ms Yap’s mobile phone.

On the day Yee stole the credit card, she went to Tampines Mall and bought S$160 worth of hair styling equipment. That evening, she used the card again at a cafe at Upper Changi Road North, ordering an assortment of food and drinks worth S$84.40.

Two days later, on Nov 2, 2017, she bought two bottles of Victoria’s Secret perfume at Changi Airport that cost S$160.20.

In the early hours of the next day, she used the credit card to buy S$68 worth of food and drinks at a Clarke Quay bistro, and spent another S$114 on drinks at the Baliza nightclub in Marina Square.

In mitigation, Yee’s lawyer Doraraj Sinnappan said his client had loaned S$22,000 to her ex-boyfriend. Yee, who said she now works in customer service, told District Judge Mathew Joseph that the ex-boyfriend had allegedly threatened to beat her up if she did not comply.

The judge then rebuked Mr Doraraj and Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li, telling them to verify the allegation.

“All of you are officers of the court, you don’t just look after your own interests. Someone like her should not be a victim,” he said.

To Yee, who has made full restitution to Ms Yap, the judge said: “You’re not a 16-year-old schoolgirl… look at the trouble you’ve gotten into. Someone with your background should not go to jail… Consider yourself extremely fortunate.”

For each count of cheating, Yee could have been jailed up to three years and/or fined. For her offence under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act, she could have been jailed up to two years and/or fined up to S$5,000.