A thief who attempted to topple a stone pagoda at a temple and steal valuables has been put on trial.

The crime, which seemed destined to be the perfect crime due to the lack of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the surrounding area, was uncovered by a single face mask dropped on the ground.

According to the legal community and other sources, the prosecution requested a 5-year prison sentence for a 64-year-old man identified by the surname A, who was indicted and detained on charges including attempted theft, during the sentencing hearing held yesterday presided over by Judge Kim Joo-hyun of Criminal Division 2 at the Cheongju District Court's Chungju Branch.

The incident began in early April at a temple in Sinni-myeon, Chungju, North Chungcheong Province.

Man A, who has a history of multiple punishments for past grave robbery and other crimes, broke into the temple late at night, targeting the Buddhist custom of placing valuables inside stone pagodas.

Man A connected a rope between a seven-story stone pagoda and a nearby utility pole, using the principle of a pulley to topple the pagoda. However, seeing no expected valuables, he immediately fled the scene.

The damaged stone pagoda was not a cultural asset but one erected by ordinary followers, and no valuables were kept inside.

Although followers initially thought the pagoda had collapsed due to strong winds, a stone expert conducting an inspection discovered signs of intentional damage and reported it to the police.

With no CCTV at the crime scene, the investigation was expected to face difficulties, but the police did not overlook a single face mask left at the scene.

As a result of forensic analysis by the National Forensic Service, DNA belonging to Man A was detected on the mask, and the police identified him through database matching, arresting him about four months after the crime.

During the trial, Man A confessed to the crime, stating, "I felt like I was possessed by something at the time," and "As soon as the pagoda collapsed, I got scared and fled without even attempting to search for valuables."

The sentencing hearing for Man A will be held on November 25.

(Photo: Provided by reader, Yonhap News)