UPDATE Gucci sunglasses thief set for release after sentenced to 3 months jail by Bali court
An Australian man accused of walking off with a pair of Gucci sunglasses without paying for them, from the duty free at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport, is facing six months behind bars for what he calls an “accident.”
Prosecutors could have demanded that Thomas William Harman get five years, the maximum penalty for the alleged shoplifting, but during a session in Denpasar District Court on Monday, they just asked that the Perth man get six months.
Harman was arrested on June 30 when he allegedly took a pair of Gucci sunglasses from the international terminal, reportedly worth IDR4,003,500 (US$296), without paying for them.
The 31-year-old has been locked up ever since, spending his last three months in Bali’s Kerobokan Prison.
The Aussie’s lawyer, Erwin Siregar is not denying that his client is guilty, but has emphasized that Harman claims the action was a “mistake,” that he only left with the sunglasses because it was an unconscious, nervous reaction about flying.
Because this is Harman’s first offense and he’s shown clear remorse for his actions, Siregar says he’s “optimistic” about the outcome for his client.
“I am sorry and I would like to go home as soon as possible,” Harman said in court.
When asked by a judge if he felt guilty, he responded: “Yes, I feel remorseful.”
Moreover, after doing some internet research, Siregar says the sunglasses in question could be purchased online for much less than US$296.
“Principally, I am not in agreement with the public prosecutor asking six months for this case, because after I checked on the internet, the price of the evidence was less than 2.5 million rupiah (US$185),” Siregar told reporters outside court.
“Number two, he has already said sorry to the company and they already forgave him. During the court case he [has been] very polite, very cooperative, [and he has] never [been] arrested before.
“So in this case I request to the judge, please punish my client as minimally as possible. And I am very optimistic about that,” he said.
On the other side of things, the prosecution has argued that a six-month jail term is lenient and that CCTV footage shows the alleged sunglasses theft was not a “mistake.”
“The CCTV vision shows he took the Gucci glasses and shows intention,” prosecutor Made Ayu Citra Maya Sari told the court.
“Thus, the intention has been proven convincingly against the criminal law article 362.”
Harman was expected to be sentenced today.
