Yomiuri: Court forgives fine for 'amnesiac' shoplifter
The Kyoto District Court on Wednesday imposed a fine of 150,000 yen on a man convicted of shoplifting who claimed to have lost his memory, including his name, but then let the man's 15-day pretrial detention offset his payment. In the ruling, presiding Judge Ryuichi Higashio told the man: "This world is full of kind people. Please trust us. If you're in need, you can come to see me. I'll do my best for you, too." Afterward, the man told his lawyer he was very thankful for the ruling. Prosecutors had demanded a 200,000 yen fine. According to the sentence, while wandering around after losing his memory, the man stole nine food items worth 1,723 yen at a shopping center in Joyo, Kyoto Prefecture, on Feb. 22.