Slovak jailed 18 months for Monaco shop thefts
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
A 34-year-old Slovak man, barred from the Principality for ten years, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a string of shop thefts and smashing his police cell window.
The Tribunal Correctionnel in Monaco handed down an 18-month immediate prison sentence on Monday to a 34-year-old Slovak national, following a fast-track trial for a series of thefts from shops across the Principality.
The man had been under a ten-year entry ban from Monaco at the time of the offences, a measure clearly flouted when he returned to target several boutiques. Investigators say the thefts formed part of a short but deliberate spree before his arrest.
While in police custody, the defendant caused further trouble by breaking the window of his holding cell, an act that is understood to have been factored into the court's sentencing decision. The case highlights ongoing concerns among Monaco retailers over repeat offenders breaching court-imposed bans to carry out opportunistic thefts in the Principality's shopping districts.