Man gets 14 months for stealing used Porsche he was pretending to buy

(123rf)

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for stealing a car while posing as a prospective buyer, Daegu District Court said Tuesday.

In January, the man met with the owner of a Porsche in the parking lot of an auto repair shop in Busan to negotiate the purchase of the vehicle.

He asked to inspect the car's interior, but on entering the vehicle, he started the engine and drove away without finalizing the deal.

While making his escape, he pushed the owner, who had tried to prevent him from leaving by grabbing the steering wheel, injuring him.

He said he decided to steal the car after coming across an online advertisement for a used Porsche.

In issuing the sentence, the court cited the defendant's prior criminal record, the fact that he committed another offense while on probation, and the malicious intent behind the crime, despite him reaching an agreement with the victim.

By No Kyung-min(minmin@heraldcorp.com)