Keys stolen

Slept in hotel rooms without paying

The unemployed man used the stolen key cards to get into the rooms.(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

An unemployed 21-year-old is said to have broken into a hotel mailbox containing key cards several times. Reason: He was looking for a place to rest and was caught asleep in bed by employees.

A repentant 21-year-old Turk sat before the Linz judge. The unemployed man is said to have broken into a hotel mailbox at least three times, where guests can drop their key cards after check-out.

He knew the hotel
He used the stolen cards to gain access to the rooms in order to sleep in. He was already familiar with the hotel, as the homeless man had stayed there several times before for a fee. He was also known to the staff, as they had repeatedly had to wake him up because he had not checked out on time.

Surprised in bed
His notoriety was his downfall: when the illegal overnight stays were noticed, the 21-year-old was identified on the video surveillance and was also found asleep in a room.

Vowed to do better
"I've learned from my mistakes", he promised in order to avoid having to go back to prison. The 21-year-old had already been in custody since New Year's Eve because he had failed to appear at the first hearing.

Judge was lenient
The range of punishment for the offense he is accused of is up to three years. The judge wanted to give him another chance because of his young age: eight months in prison, one month of which was unconditional - but he had already served that in pre-trial detention. He also receives probation assistance and has to pay 1,200 euros in restitution.