Posted on 04/01/2010 4:57:54 PM PDT by myknowledge
A 272kg man accused of stealing food and scamming restaurants has been unable to face his charges in court because he is too sick and fat.
George Jolicoeur, 38, remained in a bed in his nursing home while his lawyer pleaded no contest to five petty theft charges in an Orlando court in the US state of Texas, the Palm Beach Post reports.
The offences were all committed in 2007, when a more mobile Jolicoeur on five occasions walked into a restaurant or food store and claimed he had been sold substandard food.
On each of the occasions, Jolicoeur demanded large refunds from the store.
The court heard Jolicoeur was eventually arrested after he marched into a 7-Eleven store and claimed he had bought $50 in beef jerky that turned out to be mouldy.
According to court documents, Jolicoeur told his arresting officer: "The beef jerky got me."
Jolicoeur has been convicted of similar scams in the past, including one in 2005 where he claimed to have found hair in six milkshakes.
Defence attorney James D. Phillips Jr. told the judge his client now required a respirator to breathe and was too ill to attend a court hearing.
Jolicoeur’s medical condition was not specified but the court heard his health was unlikely to improve.
He was spared a jail term but ordered to pay almost $1500 in legal costs and unspecified damages.
I didn’t say that people never get bad food.
However, if you claim that you bought $50 worth of moldy beef jerky and don’t bring any of it back, but demand your money back anyway, I’m going to call BS.
The point is, you don’t eat $50 of moldy beef jerky. The other option is that you threw it out and that doesn’t wash either. Bringing it back gives you the best credibility.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.