Student sentenced to 3 years in prison for breaking and entry, theft and illegal residency

A student who was arrested and taken to court for theft, breaking into a building and residing illegally in north Cyprus has been sentenced to 3 years in prison.

The sentenced was announced by the Lefkosa district court on Wednesday Sept. 11.

The defendant identified as O.M.N, 26, a Nigerian, was arrested on May 7 after he was accused of stealing from an invitro fertilization center operating on Martyr Mustafa Ahmet Ruso Street in Lefkosia.

The incident happened at around 12:15am on May 7, 2024, when the defendant entered the Euro Care invitro fertilization center by removing the iron railings on the window with the help of a crowbar and also broke the glass part with the same crowbar causing a damage worth 7,000 TL. He then entered the building and stole 8,100 Euros, 13,915 Dollars and 7,355 Pounds in cash found inside in a wooden drawer before exiting the building. 

Police said he was identified from a camera footage and arrested and that he hid the stolen money in the old State Laboratory.

Following his arrest, it was determined that he has been living illegally in north Cyprus without a resident permit.

He was taken to the court on May 8 on charges of “Entering a building illegally, Fraud, Deliberate damage, Trespass to property and residing in the TRNC without permit”.

Delivering judgement, the judge said that the defendant said that the money he stole was in the courtyard of the Old State Chemistry Laboratory and showed him where he hid it, and that all the money had been found.  

The judge stated that the defendant had resided in the north of Cyprus without permit for a total of 702 days from June 5, 2022 until the day of his arrest.

The judge stated that the defendant had come to the country as a student and that he could not continue his education because he had lost his father. He also stated that the crime of opening a building, for which the defendant was tried and convicted, carries a prison sentence of 7 years and the crime of fraud carries a prison sentence of 3 years, which are increasingly common crimes.

The judge stated that it was not determined that the defendant, who came to the country as a student and started living illegally, had no residence permit until he committed the crime.

The judge emphasized that they have encountered the same situation in many cases recently, that those living illegally cannot be detected by the authorities until they commit a crime, and stated that all the money stolen by the defendant has been found, but the 7,000 TL damage he caused while entering the building has not been compensated, and that the complaint is ongoing.  

The judge stated that they considered the defendant's admission of the crime he committed and his case in his favor and sentenced him to 3 years in prison.