Oshawa Teen's Nightmare Ends After Arrest For Stealing Sunglasses In Hong Kong

It's a mistake an Oshawa, Ont. student likely won't repeat.

The 15-year-old girl stood before an English-speaking judge in Hong Kong on Monday and pleaded guilty to stealing $300 sunglasses from an airport kiosk.

The teen was about to fly home with her classmates following a school trip to China when police approached her. They claimed she'd pocketed the designer shades and that the incident was caught on security cameras.

Airport officials cancelled her ticket, to the distress of many of her classmates. The student's teacher and his wife apparently stayed behind with her while the other teens flew home Sunday as planned.

After pleading guilty the judge fined her $140 and dropped the criminal charge.

There's no indication yet when she'll return home to Canada.

It's a given that theft in any country - no matter how small - is a no-no and something you should never do. In some places, stealing something small can be considered a minor crime with only minor consequences. In others, it can be punishable by long prison terms in some very unpleasant jails.

Want to know what your government is prepared to do for you and what the laws are for where you're going? The Foreign Affairs Ministry has an extensive list of the laws and customs for countries all over the world, along with ways to contact the Canadian Consulates in each if you wind up in a serious jam. To take a look at the site, click here.