Dine-and-dash spree in Hong Kong lands Aussie lawyer in court

Samuel Anthony Monkivitch appeared at Eastern Magistrates Court last Friday (8 May), where he faced six charges, including four counts of making off without payment, according to local media reports.

During the court proceedings, prosecutors told the Hong Kong court that between 24 April and 5 May, Monkivitch allegedly left four different five-star hotels across the city without settling his bills.

The venues that he allegedly dined and dashed at included “Cafe Too” buffet at the Island Shangri-La in Admiralty, “Cafe Kool” at the Kowloon Shangri-La in Tsim Sha Tsui, a canteen in Central, and a restaurant in Wan Chai.

The total value of the unpaid meals is said to be approximately HK$2,039 (equivalent to AU$360).

In addition to the four counts of making off without payment, Monkivitch also faces two counts of criminal damage.

Prosecutors allege that on 4 May, he destroyed a sales terminal belonging to the Island Shangri-La International Hotels group, and just a day later, allegedly damaged a privately owned iPhone 15 Pro Max outside the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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According to his LinkedIn profile, Monkivitch’s most recent role was as a managing legal counsel and corporate advisor at Vicinity Centres, an Australian retail property group, where he worked from June 2021 to September 2022.

During the court proceedings, prosecutors sought an adjournment to continue their investigation, citing the need to review multiple sources of CCTV footage from the locations involved.

The court granted the request, with Magistrate Tobias Cheng Yun-chung subsequently adjourning the case until 5 June.

While the court granted the adjournment request, Monkivitch’s application for bail was denied, meaning he will remain in custody.

A separate bail review has, however, been scheduled for 15 May.