Man acquitted of stealing an aubergine after nine years
In 2009, the man -then aged 49- was caught stealing a single aubergine from a privately owned field near Lecce, in the region of Puglia. While being taken away, he pleaded with the police that he had tried to steal the vegetable because he was unemployed and needed to feed his child.
However, the courts initially showed no mercy. He was sentenced to five months in prison and ordered to pay a 500 euros fine. The punishment was reduced on appeal to two months’ jail and 120 euros.
The man’s legal counsel was still not satisfied and took the case to the Court of Cassation in Rome. There, the defendant was acquitted. But this happened nearly a decade after he was first arrested.
According to punchng.com, the Court of Cassation criticised the lower courts for not taking into account the weakness of the prosecution’s case, given the man’s financial situation. The court also lamented the amount of money spent on the case, with public funds of between 7,000 and 8,000 euros going towards legal fees as the man could not pay for his own defence.
