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A string of alleged dine-and-dash incidents at some of Hong Kong’s high-end restaurants has followed lawyer Samuel Monkivitch home, with the fallout potentially costing him his practising certificate.
After pleading guilty to multiple dine-and-dash offences across high-end Hong Kong restaurants and luxury hotels, Samuel Monkivitch’s overseas saga has taken another turn, with the fallout now resulting in the loss of his practising certificate.
The Melbourne-based lawyer appeared before the Eastern Magistrates Court last month after being charged in relation to a series of alleged dine-and-dash incidents, according to local media reports.
The 50-year-old faced charges relating to four alleged dine-and-dash incidents over a two-week period, with the unpaid bills spanning several of Hong Kong’s most prestigious dining venues.
The alleged offences included meals at “cafe TOO” buffet at the Island Shangri-La in Admiralty, “Cafe Kool” at the Kowloon Shangri-La in Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as 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).
Alongside the four counts of making off without payment, Monkivitch was also convicted on two counts of criminal damage, relating to separate incidents that occurred within days of each other.
The offences involved the destruction of a sales terminal owned by the Island Shangri-La International Hotels group and the alleged damage of a privately owned iPhone 15 Pro Max outside the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui, the following day.
Although Monkivitch does not appear on the register of practitioners, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner confirmed to Lawyers Weekly that he does not currently hold a practising certificate, preventing him from continuing to practise as a lawyer.
“We can confirm that Samuel Monkivitch does not currently hold a practising certificate. This means he must not engage in legal practice or advertise, represent, state or imply that he can do so,” the spokesperson stated.
According to reports, the Australian lawyer spent several months in custody before appearing before a Hong Kong court, where he pleaded guilty to all charges arising from the alleged dine-and-dash spree.
Monkivitch was fined HK$2,000 (approximately AU$360) and received a six-week jail sentence, which was suspended for 18 months.
The court also ordered him to repay HK$12,539.90 (approximately AU$2,290) for the damaged phone and unpaid restaurant bills.
A family member who travelled to Hong Kong to attend the hearing agreed to cover the outstanding amounts, ensuring the payments were made by the court’s deadline.
However, after swiftly returning to his home in Melbourne, reports have emerged alleging that Monkivitch has been involved in further incidents targeting small businesses.
Nine News has reported that, just weeks after returning to Australia, Monkivitch allegedly visited an inner-city Melbourne salon, where the owner claimed he left without paying for his services.
Salon owner Vanessa told the media platform that Monkivitch introduced himself and openly discussed his Hong Kong convictions.
“He told me his name and his whole story of how he’d been arrested in Hong Kong for scamming restaurants and not paying. He showed me the article. He’s carrying it around with him, boasting about it. He’s proud of it,” she said.
Vanessa alleged the situation escalated when Monkivitch requested a beer from the salon’s fridge during the appointment before leaving to obtain payment.
“As I was cutting his hair, he noticed I had a beer fridge. So he asked if he could have a beer, and this was at 10:30 in the morning,” she said.
She claimed Monkivitch later told her he would leave to withdraw cash and return shortly afterwards.
“He was like, ‘No, I’ll go and get your cash. Go to the bank, get the cash, come back.’ And he’s like, ‘I’ll be back in 20 minutes.’ And I’m thinking, ‘What takes 20 minutes?’ Like, it’s literally two doors down,” she said.
