A man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison with probationary suspension by a Brussels court for stealing a wallet containing €10,000 from a café.
The theft occurred on 24 September 2024 at a café in Halle, where the man, identified as D., entered as the first customer of the day and left shortly after. The café owner discovered that his wallet containing recent earnings, placed in the kitchen, was missing.
When D. returned to the café later, the owner confronted him, but D. vehemently denied any involvement. Unconvinced, the owner filed a complaint with the police.
About a week later, D. voluntarily approached a police patrol to confess. He admitted using the stolen money to purchase heroin and sleeping in a metro station. Upon waking, he claimed the remaining money had disappeared.
The prosecution argued that D.’s drug addiction was a key factor in the crime and requested a prison sentence with probationary suspension. D. himself asked for community service instead.
The court rejected D.’s request and imposed an 18-month prison sentence with probationary suspension. As a condition, D. is required to undergo treatment for his addiction.
