The Tauragė District Court announced on Thursday that E. V. was found guilty of stealing a wallet containing money, an identity document, bank and discount cards from a person’s pocket. He was also found guilty of illegally acquiring and possessing a small amount of a mixture of cannabis and plant material containing tetrahydrocannabinol.
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The court established that in March of this year in Šilutė, in a public place, E. V. openly stole a wallet from a man riding a bicycle, which contained 555 euros, an identity document, bank and discount cards. Prior to this, E. V. had helped the man withdraw money from an ATM, and later, deciding to rob him, followed him.
Furthermore, in March of this year in Šilutė, E. V., without the intent to distribute, illegally purchased from an unidentified person for 10 euros at least 0.027 grams of a narcotic substance – a mixture of cannabis and brown crushed plant material containing tetrahydrocannabinol. E. V. smoked part of this mixture and kept the rest in his jacket pocket until it was found and taken by police officers during a personal search.
The accused admitted to the charges and explained that he helped the man who approached him to withdraw money from the ATM. The man put the withdrawn money into his wallet, which he placed in the back pocket of his trousers. E. V. had the idea to rob the man, so he followed the man riding a bicycle and waited for the right opportunity. When the cyclist stopped, E. V. pulled the wallet out of his back trouser pocket and ran away. The man did not catch him. On the same day, E. V. used the stolen money to buy alcohol, cigarettes, a scooter, and a speaker.
Additionally, the accused explained that he contacted a stranger on the social network “Facebook” and purchased 1 gram of marijuana from him for 10 euros. He consumed most of it, and the remaining part was found by the police. The defendant said he deeply regrets the criminal acts and compensated the victim for the damage.
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The court concluded that E. V.’s guilt for open theft and illegal acquisition and possession of a small amount of narcotics without intent to distribute is fully proven.
When sentencing, the court considered that E. V. has been administratively punished, previously convicted, compensated the victim for the damage caused, is seeking employment, and is undergoing treatment for substance dependence. The court found that the man’s responsibility is mitigated by the fact that he admitted to the criminal acts and sincerely regrets them, but aggravated by the fact that he committed the crimes as a recidivist.
Considering all circumstances, the court sentenced him to one year of imprisonment, the execution of which was postponed for one year and six months. During the postponement period, the man is required to participate in a behavior correction program, abstain from psychoactive substances, register with the Employment Service, and not leave the city (district) of residence without permission from the supervising authority.
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The verdict can be appealed to the Klaipėda Regional Court.
