Towering over the courtroom and speaking in a soft voice, beauty queen, Olive Gopaul appealed for her maid to be treated leniently after the maid admitted to stealing over $120,000 from her.
Gopaul declared that after the money was returned she had not wanted the matter to proceed further but it had gone on anyway.
Her maid, Iana Hamilton, 22 years, who is also Gopaul’s neighbour admitted to a charge of break and enter and larceny when she appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday and after the appeal by Gopaul was placed on a two- year bond by Magistrate Fazil Azeez.
Hamilton on February 5 at Gopaul’s New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop home had stolen $108, 000 and US$100 which was in a drawer in Gopaul’s home. Gopaul had secured the money in the drawer and had left for work. Upon her return the money was discovered missing and the matter was reported to the police. Hamilton was then arrested and charged.
When she appeared in court yesterday Hamilton admitted to the charge stating that she had a key to the drawer and took out the money but was going to put it back. “I’m sorry about it. I was going to put it back. I don’t know why I took it out”, she stated. She said that the money was returned. Gopaul concurred but said that it was now lodged at the police station. An order was made for the money to be returned and Hamilton was about to be sentenced when Gopaul made her appeal.
She said that when the money was returned by Hamilton’s husband, she was not prepared to go through with the matter and “yesterday (Thursday) I was trying to get the matter not to return to court”.
After her soft-spoken appeal the magistrate told her that it was already in the court and Hamilton had pleaded and she should have said that she didn’t wish to offer any evidence when the matter was called.
Hamilton was then placed on a two-year bond and was told that she should be “eternally thankful to Miss Gopaul”.
Later in the day, a woman who had applied for a licence to hold a bar-b-que told the magistrate that she admired how Gopaul had handled the situation.
