Chinese phone thief arrested on purpose so he can join prison’s award-winning performing arts group
Man with history of mental health problems sentenced to 10 months in jail after confessing to lifting handsets as a way to get on stage
A serial thief in Shanghai said he committed his most recent crime so he could achieve his dream of joining a local prison’s performing arts group.
The man, identified by his surname Wang, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 2,000 yuan (US$320) in February after being found guilty of stealing cellphones from a hospital in the city’s Jiading district, Shanghai broadcaster STV reported.
The 45-year-old native of eastern China’s Jiangxi province pleaded guilty in court to stealing several handsets from patients while they were asleep, but his motive was not economic gain.
According to the television report, he told police that he committed the crime as it was the only way he could think of to join Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison’s artistic troupe, a group that has won dozens of awards and staged more than 5,700 performances.
“I wanted a stage on which to sing,” Wang, who made a living as an artist in Shanghai, was quoted as saying. “Tilanqiao provides this stage, since they get to perform at various prisons. Once I go to prison, I will be able to bring this to a fulfilling end. I will not repeat the same mistakes, I won’t do it any more.”
