A 33-year-old man in Taiwan, dissatisfied with his work conditions and burdened by financial stress, attempted to obtain an "all-inclusive prison life" by committing a crime, brandishing a fruit knife and entering a convenience store to declare a robbery. The Taichung District Court recently concluded the case, determining that he did not have the genuine intent to rob and sentencing him to 8 months in prison for coercion and intimidation offenses, with the option to pay a fine instead.
According to Liberty Times on the 12th, the incident occurred on the evening of July 24 this year. Upon entering the convenience store, Mr. Zeng waved a fruit knife and told the female clerk, "I'm robbing you!" He also insisted she call the police quickly. The female clerk, frightened, immediately called the police. Unexpectedly, Mr. Zeng instantly switched from an intimidating demeanor to a "selfie mode," put down the knife, flashed a smug smile, and made a V-sign gesture with his chin.
The commotion not only scared the clerk but also frightened a young man who had just entered the store. Mr. Zeng turned to him, waved the knife, knocked on his helmet, and shouted, "I'm robbing here, why are you coming in? Get out!"
The young man hurriedly backed out in fear. When police quickly arrived on the scene, Mr. Zeng, as if prepared, tossed the knife aside, spread his hands out, obediently lay on the ground, and even smiled.
During the trial, Mr. Zeng insisted that he had no intention of taking any money and only wanted "to serve time in prison." The clerk testified that, although he requested her to open the register, his actions seemed "like he was just randomly pressing buttons," and "just for show," not like he was really trying to rob; he even made a V-sign and smiled on the side, appearing more as if he was playing with the cash register.
After reviewing video footage, the judge determined that although Mr. Zeng's actions caused fear, he had no active intent to obtain money or property. Considering that his motive was to enter prison to escape economic pressure, and that he wielded the knife and threatened people, the court noted he did not injure anyone and cooperated with the investigation. He was sentenced to 6 months for coercion and 4 months for intimidation, to be served as 8 months in total, with the option to pay a fine instead.