A Romanian risks a 14-month prison sentence and a fine of 800 euros, being accused of the theft of two construction equipment on Dilsen-Stokkem and Kinrooi, in Belgium. The man failed to carry theft to the end.
The prosecutor emphasized that the mere travel of the machine on the site is theft. Photo: Archive
On Monday morning, June 2, before the criminal court in Tongerren, the 38 -year -old man, established for two years in the Netherlands, said he committed the deed in despair, to obtain the necessary money:
“I needed money for the operation of my sister’s son”, he explained in front of the judges, informs Het Belang Van Limburg.
The first incident took place on February 11, 2025, when the Romanian stole an excavator on a site in Dilsen-Stokkem. He tried to transport him to a field to a place where he intended to charge him, but, by failing, he abandoned. The prosecutor, however, stressed that the mere travel of the machine on the site is a consumed theft.
The investigation identified two suspects through the surveillance cameras, which surprised them in a red Mercedes with Romanian plates and a black Audi registered in the Netherlands. The Audi car was later stopped by the police, and the defendant was behind the wheel. The signal of his mobile phone was also located near the place of the deed that night.
The man acknowledged his blame and said he was contacted by a friend who offered him 2,000 euros to participate in theft. He said he deeply regrets involvement.
Suspected of belonging to a network but with insufficient evidence
In addition to this case, the prosecutor designated and as a suspect in the theft of a telescopic charger in Kinrooi, but acknowledged that there is no direct evidence to connect it to this fact. However, the accusation requires a maximum sentence of 14 months and a fine, for both cases.
The man’s defender claimed that he is not part of an organized network, has a clean record and asked the court to consider the duration of preventive arrest or to apply a suspended sentence.
“It was a life lesson”said the Romanian before being escorted back into arrest.
