Italian man loses appeal in attempted armed robbery case
An Italian national who was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to rob a convenience store in New Taipei City last year lost his appeal to the Supreme Court and will serve the full term before being deported, according to United Daily News.
Bruno Giuliano Maicol, aged in his 30s, was sentenced in November 2020 after being found guilty of an attempted armed robbery in which he held a pair of scissors to a female convenience store clerk’s neck in a Hi-Life store in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, August 21.
Maicol was arrested at the Hilton Hotel in Banqiao District, August 23.
The two-year prison term was considered a lenient sentence, as the judge took into account that Maicol had not harmed the clerk, the blade had not made contact with her body, the robbery had failed, and the perpetrator had reached a settlement with the victim. Maicol pled guilty during the trial at the New Taipei City District Court.
The Supreme Court, Thursday, July 8, rejected Maicol’s appeal via a lawyer who argued for a suspended sentence and removal of the deportation order. Maicol’s defense argued that Maicol’s parents had both passed away. Maicol was not close to his foster family, and his sister had her own family to take care of. It was not easy for Maicol to return to Italy and his Taiwanese ex-wife promised to help him here in Taiwan.
However, the court determined that Maicol had seriously undermined public order and safety and therefore could not be given a suspended sentence.
As for deportation, under the provisions of the Immigration Act, Maicol will only be barred from entering the country for a period of six years. This does not constitute a serious violation of freedom, or impediment to meeting with his ex-wife.
Therefore, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal and upheld the original sentence of two years followed by deportation.
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