Beggar ends up in jail
2005-11-15 09:45
Lisbon - A man who went to a Portuguese police station to beg for money wound up behind bars after officers found he was a wanted criminal, daily newspaper Correio da Manha reported on Monday.
The 32-year-old man told officers at the station in Santarem, 80km northeast of Lisbon, on Friday that he needed the cash to return to his home in northern Portugal.
But when police checked his criminal record, they found he was wanted for violating the terms of his parole after serving part of a five-month sentence.
It is the second time police at the station have arrested someone who has gone to them to beg for money.
In February 2004 officers arrested a 44-year-old man who asked for cash to return home. A police check revealed he was on the run from a 106-day prison sentence for driving without a licence.
Portuguese police stations have a small emergency fund to help people in need, usually to help victims of muggings get home.