Because of a “Can”.. 10 Years in Prison for Supermarket Owner Who Killed a Beggar

The Cairo Criminal Court, convening in Abdeen and presided over by Counselor Mohamed Ali Mostafa El-Feki, sentenced a supermarket owner and 2 others to 10 years in prison for killing a beggar after he stole a carbonated beverage, a “can,” from the shop.

The verdict was issued with Counselors Mahmoud Yahya Rashdan, Abdullah Abdel Aziz Salam, and Osama Youssef Abu Shisheaa as members, and court secretary Magdy Gibreel.

The Public Prosecution referred 3 defendants, including two brothers, in connection with the assault that led to the death of a beggar while he was stealing a can of carbonated water from their shop in Abdeen.

Investigations revealed that the defendants were “Mohamed M A,” 41, who lived in Imbaba; his brother “Mahmoud,” 32, who lived on Sherif Street in Abdeen; and “Mohamed A A,” 17, who lived in Atfih, Giza Governorate. They confessed to assaulting the beggar to punish him for stealing the carbonated water from the supermarket while they were there, but they were surprised when he took his final breath.

The crime began in July of last year 2019, when the head of the Abdeen Police Department received a report from residents about the discovery of the body of a male beggar in his forties. Police investigations by the department’s assistant revealed that the victim had attempted to steal a carton of canned carbonated water, or “cans,” from a supermarket and tried to flee. The shop owners and employees chased him, caught him, detained him in the shop for 3 hours, and beat him with a “broom” and their hands until he took his final breath.

Investigations added that the defendants tried to provide him with first aid but failed, so they decided to dispose of the body beside an electricity kiosk several meters from the shop.