70-Year-Old Man Takes 'Old Smartphone' Left on Restaurant Outdoor Table

A 70-year-old man has been sentenced for theft after taking an old smartphone left on an outdoor table at a restaurant and handing it over as lost property to a subway station employee the following day.

On the 22nd, the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court, presided over by Judge Choi Chi-bong, announced that it has imposed a fine of 800,000 won on Mr. A (78), who was accused of theft.

Mr. A is accused of taking the old smartphone, which was left on an outdoor table at a restaurant in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, at around 3:50 PM on March 27 of last year.

The smartphone that Mr. A took was a 'Galaxy S8', an older model that had been released 7 years prior.

During the trial, Mr. A argued that he had merely discovered the smartphone by chance and intended to keep it until he could return it to its owner, claiming that it was not theft as he had not taken someone else's property.

However, Judge Choi concluded that Mr. A's actions met the criteria for theft, as he took the smartphone, which he found while briefly stepping outside while dining with friends, and did not inform the restaurant staff.

Judge Choi stated, "Considering the various circumstances, such as the fact that he made no effort to find the owner and instead handed the mobile phone to a cleaning staff member at Byeollae Station (on the metropolitan subway line 8) the next day, it is evident that Mr. A not only intended to take the victim's mobile phone but also had the intent to possess it."

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