• Sweden edition

Man jailed for store floor pooping

Published: 25 Jan 11 14:40 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31634/20110125/

A man who defecated on the floor of a shop in eastern Sweden has been sentenced to prison.

The incident took place in November 2010 when the 45-year-old man was visiting a shop in the town of Finspång, located about 30 kilometres west of Norrköping.

When nature called, the man asked a store employee if he could use the toilet, the local Norrköpings-Tidning newspaper reported.

But the store employee explained that health regulations prohibited customers from using the store toilet, news which prompted the man to take drastic measures.

"He pulled down his pants, squatted on the floor and pooped," the 21-year-old female cashier said in court during the 45-year-old's trial, according to the newspaper.

The cashier explained further that the man proceeded to insult her while he relieved himself on the floor of the store.

After he'd finished his business, the 45-year-old left the store, snatching some candy on the way, and leaving behind a pile of excrement and his dirty undies, according to the cashier.

The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions.

During his trial, the man changed defence attorneys twice before the court rejected his third request for a new counsel. After being denied another defence attorney, the man expressed his lack of confidence in the court in front of a gallery filled with schoolchildren on a field trip.

"I'm not going to participate in this damn farce," he exclaimed before storming out of the courtroom.

Despite the judge's explanation that leaving the courtroom would deprive him of the chance to tell his side of the story, the man refused to return, prompting the judge to order him placed in a nearby room where he heard the proceedings through an intercom.

Following the hearing, the court found the man guilty of several crimes, save for the shoplifting charge, and sentenced him to eight months in prison and pay compensation to the store.

Since the man was on parole from a previous conviction at the time of the public defecation, he must now also serve two additional months in prison.

The Local/dl (news@thelocal.se)

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15:14 January 25, 2011 by stillwatersrd
No doubt, he thinks it was worth it.
15:29 January 25, 2011 by Swedesmith
Well, at least he left a deposit for the candy.
15:57 January 25, 2011 by Åskar
This doesn't change my opinion on Finspång. ,-)
16:16 January 25, 2011 by muckfuslims
That was a crappy thing to do : )
16:20 January 25, 2011 by calebian22
Swedesmith,

Hej panta mera!
16:54 January 25, 2011 by Rishonim
8 months for taking a dump and had he raped a 14 year old he would have recieved 6 months. This justice systems stinks
17:07 January 25, 2011 by Swedesmith
I wonder what kind of candy bar he stole? Maybe a Baby Ruth?
17:11 January 25, 2011 by GLO
What people will do for attention!!!!!!
17:46 January 25, 2011 by BobWas
Did they give him a psychiatric evaluation? Or check whether he was on any kind of medication?

This is not normal behaviour -- even the switching of lawyers, and storming out of the courtroom isn't normal. I wouldn't have put him in prison until he'd had a medical checkup.
18:16 January 25, 2011 by Garry Jones
In the Sweden of old that we all knew and loved the shop keeper would have been closed down for refusing the "The Right of Public Access "

Quote

The Right of Public Access (Allemansrätten) is unique and the most important base for recreation in Sweden, providing the possibility for each and everyone to visit somebody else's land, to take a bath in and to travel by boat on somebody else's waters, and to pick the wild flowers, mushrooms, berries.

So he had a right to take a bath in the shop but not do a number 2.
18:25 January 25, 2011 by Swedesmith
So, you are saying that he just did his duty as a citizen?
18:42 January 25, 2011 by planethero
nicked a plopp, gave a plopp.

made a fine pong.
18:42 January 25, 2011 by ISayWhatPeopleThink
This man is my new HERO. Seriously.

I can't even count the times I've had armfuls of merchandise and either my 10 year old starts doing the "potty dance" or my infant has a nice ripe one in her diaper, only to be told by some snooty clerk that we'll have to stop shopping and leave the store (and usually take quite a hike) to pay and use some dirty facilities elsewhere. So I have to put everything back on the rack and leave the premises, use the restroom, come back, find everything I put up, and then finish shopping and check out.

I no longer support these businesses that refuse to provide a toilet, even when I offer to pay. They don't mind me spending thousands in their store, but if nature calls I'm suddenly unfit to use their restroom? Talk about the bare minimum of customer service!

Anyhow, as an expat I can put up with a lot of changes. I understand that a lot of things in Sweden differ from my home country.

I can deal with complete lack of customer service.

I understand I have a better chance of winning the lotto over the saleslady cracking a friendly smile.

I concede that because I have a baby stroller, I will be forced to stand in human excrement and urine as I use the elevator to change floors.

I fully accept paying designer prices for clothes that fall apart after one wash.

I have surrendered to the fact that I will never find a fluffy towel or a sheet with a thread count above "burlap grade" here.

But this toilet gestapo behaviour??? PFFFT. I only *wish* I had the stones to do what this man did. More people should leave a nice warm loaf of rye on the floors of these establishments.

Bravo, poop man....bravo.
18:53 January 25, 2011 by wxman
I guess he didn't give a s**t. Oh wait, I guess he did!
18:58 January 25, 2011 by Pacey
woohoo. Long live the Vikings! Anyways if he wouldnt have come to the same store again and assualted the clerk he would have gone scot free! Imagine who had to touch those undies! The amazing thing about this paper is there is always some nice entertainment.
19:04 January 25, 2011 by Maler1971
when ya gotta go......You gotta go!!
19:44 January 25, 2011 by jack sprat
Sh!t store,sh!t service.

Hope they are also named and shamed.
20:34 January 25, 2011 by mojofat
@isaywhatpeoplethink

You really did say what I think! God forbid that any public place have an actual toilet for people to use...let alone one that doesn't cost like 10sek or whatever. I'm also confused why there is a total absence of water fountains. Sweden has loads of water...is it really too much of a luxury to have a public water fountain in the mall or some other such place?

Too bad they didn't get this guy on video...that would be youtube gold.
20:59 January 25, 2011 by Nemesis
@ ISayWhatPeopleThink,

My local Jysk had no problem letting my kompis use there staff toilet to fix up her kid, when we were there a few months back doing some shopping. Then again they do praktik local disabled people so the local staff are probably more sensible than elsewhere.

I think it is down to the attitude of the manager and staff, more than anything.
21:34 January 25, 2011 by ISayWhatPeopleThink
Nemesis: Thanks for the tip about Jysk. :) I'm already boycotting my local store though over an incident last summer. We wanted a very large patio umbrella they had advertised and when we arrived they said they were sold out, but they would get some in Thursday and to come back then. So we planned ahead, hubby changed his schedule (to work night) so we could pick it up in the daytime that day. We called and asked if they came in (And was told yes, the shipment was there) so we borrowed a trailer to put on the car to bring the huge box home. Came in 30 minutes after calling and the staff told us they couldn't be bothered to get us one, because it was in the "back of the warehouse" and they "didn't have the time right now, come back another day". Oddly enough, NOBODY was in the store, and none of the employees looked busy, 3 of them were hanging around the cash register laughing and goofing off talking about a friend of theirs. Since then, we placed JYSK on our personal blacklist (at least our local branch). Never got the umbrella either, but oh well. I'd still be open minded to other stores though. :)

Mojo: Hahahaha! We think alike, I also was hoping to see a security camera clip of this to pop up on youtube...that would have been amazing! I love this story, reminds me of a Swedish real-life version of the movie "Falling Down". I can totally relate!
22:36 January 25, 2011 by DAVID T
Two swedes one cup
23:43 January 25, 2011 by Tanskalainen
One time I asked a store clerk, "Would you like me to s*** here on the floor?" and he relented and let me use the blessed bathroom. If he hadn't I believe I would have done it, that's how bad I had to go. Does a duck ask permission to lay an egg? Do these stupid stores expect customers to hold it all day?
00:04 January 26, 2011 by mikewhite
ISayWhatPeopleThink:

Having gone to all that trouble I would have been tempted to go into the warehouse to look for and wheel out the item myself, quoting the phone calls and hire arrangements I had made. Or at any rate get them to agree (in writing) to deliver the next day.

And they say Ikea has a poor reputation ...

On a few occasions I have found that an attitude of, "oh right, you can't / won't do that, OK, I'm prepared to put myself out, just show me where it is, I'll do the rest ..." has been fruitful.

Turned up in the head office reception of a UK mortgage firm once, stayed from 8.30 am till closing time but got them to sort out the admin, after a week's wasted phone calls had no effect !

PS every chain of UK supermarkets has loos and baby changing rooms ! (ok maybe not Lidl)
00:44 January 26, 2011 by Authentica
Good thing he didn't poop in the middle of the courtroom before storming out.
02:07 January 26, 2011 by GLO
Now the guy is nuts,but, wouldnt everyone like to do this in protest. I just dont think I could drop down in Public......
02:28 January 26, 2011 by Garry Jones
Reading the story again I think the prison sentence probably has nothing to do with the excreta. We have all seen these drunks wandering around shopping malls. My guess is he was just a very annoyng drunk.

As for prison, they don't do "take the prisoner down" here. He wont actually be in prison yet. They book him in when they have the room. Then they ask him if those dates are okay. I know one guy who was allowed to spread a sentence over his annual holiday for three years so his employer and friends would not find out.

In other countries he would have been named locally of course, but this is Sweden.
06:20 January 26, 2011 by Zhorka
Sweden needs a lot more restrooms, and it also must learn to clean them. Furthermore, requiring payments for using restrooms is really shameful for a country with great democratic socialistic traditions.
10:16 January 26, 2011 by gunnar-mobimation
This is conveying a distorted image of Sweden :)
12:15 January 26, 2011 by Nemesis
@ ISayWhatPeopleThink,

You should contact Jysk headquearters directly and inform them what happened to you. They are at http://www.jysk.com/frontpage/contact-jysk.htm
13:25 January 26, 2011 by RitaPita
I agree with Rishonim...

8 months? How silly...
14:11 January 26, 2011 by Malmoimm
"The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions"

The headline here is really misleading as there is no charge here that is clearly related to the pile he left on the floor. Unless pooping infront of someone is assault or molestation.
22:15 January 26, 2011 by technoviking
Plop and awe...
05:31 January 27, 2011 by A. Nonymous
Consider the plight of this poor man. The dirty underwear he left suggests that he started the dastardly deed before removing his pants. Rather than walk or ride home carrying a full load, he did what any normal person would do....crap on the floor. And for that he has to go to jail. It's just not fair.
07:43 January 27, 2011 by VicTaulic
Sweden, you make this stuff, don't you? I thought it was a country with just blond women and tennis players.
11:37 January 27, 2011 by johnny1939
I agree w/ all of you and it irritates me when loaded down w/ shopping bags they ask me for Svk 5 to use the restroom. I understand that they want to keep some people out but with several store receipts one should be able to go in for free....Hear that NK?

ps and the people they would like to keep out probably have 5 kronor anyway!
10:15 January 28, 2011 by Ashlito
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
06:33 January 30, 2011 by suckfist
He should have squatted and shat on the courtroom floor, too. "I've got you're big, brown farce right here!"
01:58 February 8, 2011 by marcelj
This sounds like the usa especially san francisco. Where it is common place to do the dirty deed right on the sidewalk while the tourist walk by...lol There are millions of homeless in the usa and they have no place to do the voiding. So, they do it in front of tourist. If you don't give them money they will vommit in front of you as well. The usa is so greedy that it won't even provide a public restroom. Homeless die everyday on the streets of san francisco.
17:18 March 7, 2011 by janeway
Man gets prison for pooping in store The Local 110307

Seems a majority of readers/posters have no clue to why this guy got a prison sentence.

"The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions."

"Following the hearing, the court found the man guilty of several crimes, save for the shoplifting charge, and sentenced him to eight months in prison and pay compensation to the store.

Since the man was on parole from a previous conviction at the time of the public defecation, he must now also serve two additional months in prison."

He didn't get a prison sentence for taking a dump in a store! Read again and get it right this time.

Also, the man had obviously been to the store before and had threatened staff. On two previous occations to be exact.

It can't be that people go around and protest the lack of toilets by pooping on the floor. The staff has nothing to do with what facilities are present and who gets to use them. If you don't like the lack of restrooms you have choices.

1. Don't shop there.

2. Complain to the owners

3. Poop before you leave home

4. All of the above.

As for restrooms: a lot of stores have them and only very few charge you. Water fountains are also present in most grocery stores. Just because some of you prefer to shop at NK, doesn't mean that the rest of us do. Coop, Ica, Hemköp, Willys and many more have public restroom free of use.

Seems a majority of readers/posters have no clue to why this guy got a prison sentence.

"The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions."

"Following the hearing, the court found the man guilty of several crimes, save for the shoplifting charge, and sentenced him to eight months in prison and pay compensation to the store.

Since the man was on parole from a previous conviction at the time of the public defecation, he must now also serve two additional months in prison."

He didn't get a prison sentence for taking a dump in a store! Read again and get it right this time.

Also, the man had obviously been to the store before and had threatened staff. On two previous occations to be exact.

It can't be that people go around and protest the lack of toilets by pooping on the floor. The staff has nothing to do with what facilities are present and who gets to use them. If you don't like the lack of restrooms you have choices.

1. Don't shop there.

2. Complain to the owners

3. Poop before you leave home

4. All of the above.

Cont.
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