A young man who robbed a convenience store because he wanted to live in custody for a few days after a big quarrel with his mother was tried by the Hongkou District People's Court yesterday.
Prosecutors said the 24-year-old suspect, surnamed Zhang, entered a Family Mart convenience store on Tongyan Road on November 26 last year, took money from a cashier and was stopped by a shop assistant. He then left the store and came back with a rod with which he smashed the cashier and fled with 707 yuan (US$114).
Zhang was caught by the shop assistant and other people on the same day, the court heard.
Zhang said he didn't know the robbery would result in a court trial. "I didn't rob for money. I just want to get locked up for a few days," Zhang told the court.
Zhang came from a well-off family. His stepfather told Shanghai Daily that Zhang quarreled with his mother the night before the robbery and left home after smashing a television set and a computer.
The court didn't give a verdict yesterday.
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