Key facts
- An Australian man was fined HK$2,000 and given a suspended jail sentence in Hong Kong.
- The man falsely claimed to be a lawyer.
- He left restaurants without paying on four occasions between April 24 and May 5.
- He was ordered to pay HK$2,039 in compensation to two Shangri-La hotels and a Japanese restaurant.
An Australian man, Samuel Anthony Monkivitch, 50, has been fined HK$2,000 (US$255) and received a suspended jail sentence from an Eastern Court in Hong Kong for repeatedly leaving restaurants without paying. The court heard that Monkivitch used various excuses to skip bills on four occasions between April 24 and May 5. He also falsely claimed to be a lawyer. In addition to the fine and suspended sentence, Monkivitch was ordered to pay HK$2,039 in compensation to two Shangri-La hotels located in Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as a Japanese restaurant.