GR L 2323; (January, 1906) (Digest)
FACTS:
Natividad Pareja was convicted by the trial court of the crime of theft for stealing a watch valued at $50 (Mexican currency), the property of Gregorio Gutay. She was sentenced to four months of arresto mayor (in its medium degree), ordered to pay the costs, and to indemnify Gregorio Gutay for the value of the watch, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency under Article 50 of the Penal Code.
ISSUE:
Whether the trial court committed any reversible error in its judgment of conviction and the imposition of penalties against Natividad Pareja.
RULING:
The Supreme Court AFFIRMED the conviction but MODIFIED the penalty. The Court found that the trial court’s findings were fully supported by the evidence and that no prejudicial error was committed during the proceedings. However, the Court modified the sentence to explicitly order the accused to restore the stolen watch to its owner, Gregorio Gutay, or to pay its value if restitution could not be made. As modified, the judgment was affirmed, with costs against the appellant.