Youngster drives off with car to "show off", gets 6 months in jail

A youngster has been sentenced by a lower court to six months in jail for stealing a vehicle and driving it to his school to show off his "new car" to friends.

The court has, however, ruled that its verdict be kept in suspension for three years so as not to damage the future of the youngster.

The court said this was the first crime committed by the convict and that his intention was not to steal but show off the car to friends at school.

It so happened that the school boy saw the parked car with the keys inside. He took away the keys and returned to the car the next day.

He opened the car using the keys and drove to his school. On the way, the driver of the victim's brother saw the car.

He was surprised to see it being driven by a youngster. He stopped the youngster and informed the police.

The victim's brother was also informed and he told the police that his brother had lost the car keys. 

"I was informed by my driver that he saw my brother's car being driven by a youth and that he had intercepted the car and the police were informed," said the victim's brother.

However, taking a lenient view of the crime, the court ruled that the sentence be kept in abeyance and suspension for three years.

According to Qatari law, a court sentence kept in suspension for a certain period means that the ruling is implemented when the convict commits another crime during that duration. [The Peninsula]