A West Flemish man has been jailed after being caught red-handed eating a woman's food inside her house.
Wouter V., 45, from Roeselare, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after breaking into a house in Ardooie, where he was caught eating the homeowner's crisps and helping himself to food.
The incident took place on the night of 5 May. The 41-year-old resident heard noises in her home and called the police from her bedroom.
Officers arrived to find the defendant eating a bag of the victim's tomato-flavoured crisps. He had also eaten several Leo waffles and was in the middle of heating up a meal.
During his first police interview, V. denied the offences. However, he later admitted before the investigating judge that he had nowhere to go and was cold and hungry.
"We can understand that to some extent, but the defendant appears to have made a habit of it," prosecutor Saskia Schepens said, noting that V. already had 20 previous convictions. The prosecution had requested a one-year prison sentence.
V. 's lawyer said he struggled with a long-standing drug addiction.
"There isn't a malicious bone in his body," said defence lawyer Filip De Reuse, who asked the court to impose a community service order instead.
According to De Reuse, V. had been due to move back in with his mother while his own home was being renovated. She had initially agreed to accommodate him under electronic monitoring, but later withdrew her consent, leaving him in custody.
"Bruges prison has really taken its toll on me," the defendant told the court in his final statement.
The Bruges Criminal Court convicted the man of trespassing and theft, sentenced him to eight months' imprisonment, and imposed a €500 fine.
