Two serving and one former Artisans of the then Urban Services Department (USD) were sentenced to jail terms ranging from nine months to 18 months at District Court today (Tuesday) for stealing burial property from coffins at Cape Collinson Crematorium be fore cremation took place.

Artisans Wong Chi-sum, 37, received a 18-month jail sentence, while Lee Kim-wah, 46, and former Artisan Lam Chi-keung, 65, were each jailed for nine months.

Another Artisan Siu Yat-heung, 50, will be sentenced on April 24 this year, pending a psychiatric report. Siu was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The four defendants were earlier found guilty on a total of 13 counts of theft charges.

In sentencing, Judge Derek Pang said custodial sentences were warranted in view of the serious offences committed by the defendants.

The judge said the defendants' acts constituted a breach of trust and showed disrespect to the deceased, and had lasted for a number of years.

The court heard that between November 1991 and October 1999, the defendants had stolen various valuables and clothing items from coffins at the Crematorium.

The stolen property included four watches, a ring, three pairs of shoes, two pairs of spectacles, a metal clasp, a coffin handle, a Chinese musical instrument, a tracksuit, a coat and a waist pack.

The case originated from a corruption complaint referred by the management of the then USD in 1999, which suspected that corruption might be involved in the alleged coffin thefts.

Another former USD Artisan Lam Pak-shing charged in connection with the investigation was earlier jailed for 30 months for bribing his supervisor, in addition to coffin theft.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Johnny Chan, assisted by ICAC officers Eric Ma and Judy Cheung.