Christmas squatter is jailed for six months - Polidicks

[quote]A homeless man who squatted in a Belfast apartment over Christmas to escape the freezing weather has been jailed for six months. Robert Lewandowski, 29, used keys he had stolen weeks earlier to move into the south Belfast flat once a woman who lived there left for the holidays. The Polish national was said to have taken nothing during a four-day stay. Belfast Magistrates Court heard the woman who lived in the flat and the police were sympathetic to his plight. He used a stove, watched television and cleaned up after himself. Lewandowski pleaded guilty to theft and wrongfully taking possession of the property at Tates Avenue between December 24 and 28. Belfast Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday that he had been sleeping in apartment block communal areas after losing his home and job earlier this year. 'Stole keys' He stole the keys after spotting the door to the flat lying open and went in after a party on 5 December. A lawyer for Lewandowski, of no fixed address, said he had left the property exactly as he found it. He told the court that when the woman and her partner returned to find him there the defendant did not try to leave. The solicitor said his client was apologetic, but had only gone in on Christmas Eve when temperatures were down to -10C. "He let himself in to keep out of the cold. For four days he used the TV and stove to heat some food," he said. "He didn't take anything, and he had four days and ample opportunity to effectively clean the place out," the solicitor added. But after Lewandowski waived his right to a pre-sentence report, the district judge said his theft and wrongful entry was without justification. He was jailed for two terms of six months each to run cocurrently. He also agreed to fix bail pending a planned appeal, although Lewandowski was not released as he had no suitable address.[/quote] Source [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12088871[/url]

Good riddance, I suppose. [quote]He was jailed for two terms of six months each to run concurrently.[/quote] The fucking use. Where is it?

[quote]He used a stove, watched television and cleaned up after himself.[/quote] Kinda nice, I guess.

At least he won't freeze on the streets for six months.

This is good. He won't freeze and he will get feeded.

I was expecting one of those gypsy horror stories, found a completely justified crime. He truly was a gentleman and a scholar, even for a poor Irishman.

Guy was just trying to survive, but at the end of the day, it's still a crime. At least he'll be fed and watered in prison.

Sweet deal, free room and board, for a year.

[QUOTE=Rock Ironrod;27048689]I was expecting one of those gypsy horror stories, found a completely justified crime. He truly was a gentleman and a scholar, even for a poor Irishman.[/QUOTE] Did you read the article? He's Polish.

Yeah but it was in Ireland and I wanted to sneak a TF2 joke in obviously because I love dicks.

[quote]He was jailed for two terms of six months each to run cocurrently.[/quote] so 6 months of jail for squatting? excessive punishment tbh he shouldn't have even received jail time

The only thing he did wrong was tresspassing and under the conditions it would be inhumane to not let him stay, he would have died durring those 4 days from hypothermia.

[QUOTE=JDK721;27049276]so a year of jail for squatting? excessive punishment tbh he shouldn't have even received jail time[/QUOTE] While I hate normal squatters, I almost agree with this. This is almost victimless, given how respectful he was, and the situation. But prison time can only be benefitial to him, a place to sleep and guaranteed meals, and not having to deal with -10 degree weather is pretty awesome.

At least he didn't fuck over everything in the flat and only used what he needed.

[QUOTE=JDK721;27049276]so a year of jail for squatting? excessive punishment tbh he shouldn't have even received jail time[/QUOTE] This. We should stop looking at the fact it was commited but why things were done, if all factors to induce this are reasonable, such as he was polite and cleaned up after himself and all he was doing was escaping the deadly cold weather, he shouldn't be punished, though he should return the keys he took, which I have no doubt he did.

[QUOTE=MasterG;27049306]Was the woman even pressing charges? If I'd had such a nice squatter, I wouldn't have. I mean he found the house with the door wide open, so if anything he stopped other people from robbing it.[/QUOTE] No, he stole the key while the door was standing open after a party. He lived in the house a couple weeks after that event.

[QUOTE=MasterG;27049306]Was the woman even pressing charges? If I'd had such a nice squatter, I wouldn't have. I mean he found the house with the door wide open, so if anything he stopped other people from robbing it.[/QUOTE] He was so polite I would have invited him to stay in my damn place, fuck pressing charges.

[QUOTE=Capn'Underpants;27049347]He was so polite I would have invited him to stay in my damn place, fuck pressing charges.[/QUOTE] Certainly better than most room mates. But really guys, prison is the best thing for him. Governments seem to take more care of their prisoners than they do their homeless.

One of those cases which his a fine colour of grey rather than black or white, he did steal a key to gain entrance, however its better than smashing a window open. But at least this homeless main will have somewhere warm to live in (regardless of it being a prison a lot of homeless people do commit crime to get into jail for the food and shelter), if our jail system is any good then it'll hopefully give this guy some education and skills training so he can get a job and onto work.

ok wow six months is HALF a year not a full year get it right!

Two terms of six months, a year total broski.

[QUOTE=Rock Ironrod;27049387]Certainly better than most room mates. [/QUOTE] Fucking, this.

So instead of jailing the bankers and politicians that put him into this mess the bankers got a bailout, the politicians get a pay increase, and this guy gets to go to jail for twelve months. Our society disgusts me.

Glad he's getting sent for jail. Squatters are bullshit. People just feel sorry for this one because he was a jobless tramp. This shit happens all the time and some times the actual owner of the house has a LOT of trouble trying to get back in and the cops will not/can not do shit about it. Someone enters my house without my permission like that and they have to be punished for it. You seem to have all forgotten about [url=http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1017029-Man-leaves-home-for-a-week-15-Italian-squatters-3-dogs-and-2-cats-move-in.?]this thread[/url]?

[QUOTE=Strongbow;27049614]Glad he's getting sent for jail. Squatters are bullshit. People just feel sorry for this one because he was a jobless tramp. This shit happens all the time and some times the actual owner of the house has a LOT of trouble trying to get back in and the cops will not/can not do shit about it. Someone enters my house without my permission like that and they have to be punished for it. You seem to have all forgotten about [url=http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1017029-Man-leaves-home-for-a-week-15-Italian-squatters-3-dogs-and-2-cats-move-in.?]this thread[/url]?[/QUOTE] People are sympathising with this guy because he had no other choice, he would have died from exposure otherwise, and he wasn't a righteous cunt about the ordeal, he respected their house, didn't try to take it from them and didn't run away. But fuck poor people right? They should get jobs without a residence somehow or die in the streets.

[QUOTE=JDK721;27049440]6 x 2 = 12 12 months = 1 year[/QUOTE] Concurrently = at the same time. Consecutively = one after another. He got 2 sentences of 6 months to be served concurrently.

[QUOTE=DogGunn;27049657]Concurrently = at the same time. Consecutively = one after another. He got 2 sentences of 6 months to be served concurrently.[/QUOTE] whoops point still stands that ANY jail time is excessive punishment

The trouble with this is, what happens after six months, he's turfed out where he still has no money or home. Where does he go once he's left prison.

[QUOTE=Rock Ironrod;27049242]Yeah but it was in Ireland and I wanted to sneak a TF2 joke in obviously because I love dicks.[/QUOTE] Well your name is Ironrod...