An employee who stole thousands of dollars in gambling chips from Burnaby’s Grand Villa Casino so he could support an older brother diagnosed with cancer has been granted a conditional discharge and ordered to pay back some of the money.
Leung had originally been accused of theft over $5,000, but that charge was changed at his sentencing hearing. “His older brother was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and Mr. Leung felt he needed to provide his brother financial support, as the treatments were quite expensive,” defence lawyer Julia Hung said.
She also noted Leung’s guilty plea and the fact he had already taken counselling sessions at his own expense and voluntarily performed about 100 hours of community work service with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and Oceanwise Shoreline Cleanups.