Two men in their 60s who stole 660 kilograms of sweet pumpkins from someone else's field argued in court that they believed the crop had grown on its own or been discarded. The court rejected that defense.
Judge Park Dong-wook of the Chuncheon District Court said on the 26th that he had sentenced the defendants, a 69-year-old identified as A and a 66-year-old identified as B, to six months in prison, suspended for one year, on charges of aggravated theft.
The two were indicted on charges of stealing 24 sacks of sweet pumpkins, about 660 kilograms, in three separate trips from a field in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3 last year. Investigators found that the stolen produce was hauled away in a truck.
At trial, the pair pleaded not guilty, saying they took the pumpkins believing they had grown naturally or been abandoned. They argued that they did not know the crop was being tended by an owner.
The court, however, pointed to netting installed around the field to keep out wild animals. That, it said, made clear enough that someone was managing the plot.
The court also cited the volume of the haul, saying 660 kilograms was far too much to have grown on its own.
It gave particular weight to a statement the men made to investigators: that they went back for more after eating some of the pumpkins and finding them in good condition. Given the appearance and condition of the produce, the court said, it would have been difficult to mistake it for discarded crops. The court dismissed their claim of innocence.
"The methods and nature of the defendants' crime were serious, the quantity of pumpkins taken was not small, and the victim has petitioned for a severe punishment," Park said.
The judge said he set the sentence taking into account that some of the stolen goods were returned and that the defendants had made efforts to compensate the victim, including depositing 1.8 million won with the court.