SINGAPORE, July 18 -- A domestic helper who plundered more than S$217,000 (RM684,000) in cash and jewellery from her employer's safe has been sentenced to three years and two months in jail.

Raguindin Alma Bassig, 47, used the stolen loot to fund a lavish lifestyle in the Philippines, purchasing condominium units, cars, and farmland. The Philippine national pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by a servant on Friday.

District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan described the total amount stolen as "staggering," noting that the offence warranted a deterrent sentence because the accused gravely abused the trust of her employer, CNA reported.

The betrayal was deep. Bassig had worked for the family for nearly a decade and enjoyed unrestricted access to ev...