"Thought They Were Abandoned": 660kg of Sweet Pumpkins Stolen Using Cargo Truck, Ending in Conviction

▲ File Photo: Yonhap News

Two men in their 60s who stole 660 kilograms of sweet pumpkins from someone else's field claimed in court that they "thought the sweet pumpkins grew on their own or were abandoned," but they ultimately received suspended prison sentences.

Judge Park Dong-wook of Criminal Division 3 at the Chuncheon District Court sentenced 69-year-old A and 66-year-old B, who were indicted on charges of special larceny, to six months in prison with one year of probation each.

They were brought to trial on charges of stealing 24 bags of sweet pumpkins, weighing approximately 660kg, over three occasions from October 31 to November 3 of last year from a sweet pumpkin field in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, and fleeing with them in a cargo truck.

In court, the defendants pleaded not guilty, claiming, "We took them thinking the sweet pumpkins had grown spontaneously or had been thrown away."

However, the court ruled that because mesh netting to prevent wild animals from entering was installed around the sweet pumpkin field, they must have known that someone was managing the property.

The court also pointed out that 660kg is a remarkably large amount to be considered sweet pumpkins grown naturally.

Another basis for the judgment was the fact that the defendants stated during the investigative process, "After bringing the sweet pumpkins back and eating them, we saw their condition was fine, so we took more."

Considering these circumstances, the court determined that the appearance and condition of the sweet pumpkins at the time made it difficult to view them as abandoned, thus rejecting the not-guilty plea.

Judge Park explained the sentencing rationale, stating, "The defendants' crime method and details are poor, the amount of stolen sweet pumpkins is not small, and the victim has petitioned for strict punishment for the defendants."

The judge added, "The sentence was determined by comprehensively considering factors such as the return of a portion of the stolen goods and the defendants' efforts for victim recovery, including depositing 1.8 million won for the victim."

(File Photo: Yonhap News)

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