A 40-year-old IT manager has been sentenced to 22 months in prison for stealing more than 400 computers from accounting firm Deloitte between 2021 and 2023, with the stolen equipment valued at HK$1.2 million in total. The man, who previously pleaded guilty to theft, was admonished by Deputy District Judge Nicole Li at the District Court this morning for exploiting his position as a department head responsible for managing the company's computers to carry out a prolonged and premeditated scheme that breached the firm's trust.

During sentencing, the judge noted that the defendant had been employed at Deloitte for approximately three years as an IT manager, a role that placed him in charge of the computers and his subordinates, reflecting the company's confidence in him. The judge stated that the defendant abused his authority to conceal his misconduct, which constituted long-term and calculated offending. By selling the computers and using the illegal proceeds for speculative activities that ultimately resulted in total losses, the defendant breached his fiduciary duty and caused actual financial harm to the company. However, there was no evidence that his actions damaged the firm's reputation or undermined public confidence in it.

The judge also acknowledged that the defendant confronted his wrongdoing honestly in his mitigation letter without making excuses for his behavior. The defendant had contemplated suicide but abandoned the idea because of his family, who have remained a strong support network. The judge concluded that the defendant has learned a profound lesson and that the likelihood of reoffending is low. Additionally, the defendant voluntarily confessed to the company after the offense, surrendered himself at the police station, and returned funds to a recycler after an incomplete final transaction, thereby reducing the overall loss. His written confession demonstrated genuine remorse. Furthermore, having endured a three-year judicial process since his arrest, which restricted his employment opportunities, psychiatric reports indicated he suffered from an adjustment disorder that has since resolved with medication and treatment, though his mental state remains fragile. The court ultimately imposed a sentence of 22 months' imprisonment.

Court facts revealed that on the morning of February 13, 2023, a systems engineer in Deloitte's IT department discovered 399 laptops missing during an inventory check. CCTV footage showed the defendant, who was officially on leave, entering the storage room, placing multiple computers into boxes, and handing them to a recycler who paid cash before taking the boxes away. Police intercepted the recycler and recovered 10 Lenovo laptops from the boxes. Two days later, the IT director met with the defendant, who admitted to stealing Deloitte computers for resale from September 2021 to February 2023, stating that all proceeds had been lost in the stock market. The defendant also signed a written confession acknowledging the unauthorized sale of approximately 300 laptops for financial gain and surrendered himself at the police station the same day.

Under caution, the defendant stated that he deposited the cash into his account to purchase stocks and lost all the money. He admitted to stealing 399 brand-new laptops, selling them in batches at prices ranging from HK$2,100 to HK$5,800 each, and profiting between HK$800,000 and HK$1.2 million. He also admitted to stealing older computers not recorded in the system, selling each for about HK$600, with most transactions conducted in cash. The defendant confessed that due to a gambling addiction, he used all the funds to buy stocks and lost everything, leaving him still in debt. His final transaction on February 13 was discovered by colleagues before completion, and he had already refunded HK$39,600 to the recycler. The 40-year-old defendant, Ho Man-kit, admitted to stealing 423 laptops belonging to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu between a date in September 2021 and February 15, 2023, inclusive of both days.