Baby gear thief gets 7 months

JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced defendant Kurnia Julfon, 34, to seven months in jail on Friday after he was found guilty of stealing a bag containing baby gear and Rp 70,000 (US$9) at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in July.

In Friday's trial, prosecutor Samadi Budisyam demanded the court sentence the defendant to nine months in prison.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant violated Article 362 of the Criminal Code on theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail.

Judge Endang Sri Sumarsih said the defendant stole a red bag, belonging to witness Erik Puang Naboe, from the hospital's labor room on the third floor. The bag contained baby gear and Rp 70,000.

The judge said the witness met the defendant at the hospital on July 24, when the witness was waiting for his pregnant wife, who was having a checkup.

"The defendant told the witness that he was waiting for his pregnant wife too," said the judge.

After conversing for a few minutes, the witness entrusted the bag to the defendant while he went to the hospital's drug store on the ground floor to buy medicine prescribed by the doctor, she said.

But the defendant disappeared along with the bag belonging to Erik, who reported the theft to the hospital's security guards.

Five days later Erik met the defendant again when he took his wife to the hospital for another checkup.

Erik apprehended the defendant and handed him over to hospital's security personnel, the judge said. (asa)