Stole, ate, and went to jail: Latvian courts harshly punish those who steal food from stores

In Latvia – an increase in petty thefts – stated last week the head of the State Police Armands Ruks. He pointed out the obvious: petty thefts are rising at a time when people are experiencing a decline in their well-being, writes the portal kriminal.lv.

The number of petty thefts has increased. They account for a third of all crimes – 12,000 out of 37,000 committed in a year in Latvia.

Ruks believes that it is necessary to find mechanisms that will help reduce them. In his opinion, petty thefts are rising at a time when people are becoming poorer, leading them to commit quick criminal acts with minimal material gain.

We would add that the courts in Latvia punish petty thefts quite severely. For stealing food, one can receive several months in prison. However, as we can see, this does not deter people.

Here are three fairly typical cases of petty thefts from retail stores that recently ended in court with sentences. We emphasize: we did not select any "pitiful" stories, or conversely, anecdotal ones. They are ordinary. What unites them: real prison sentences for thefts that are classified as petty.

Eggs from Rimi and other food worth 28 euros: 2 months in prison

On February 3 of this year, the Riga City Court sentenced a thief who went to the store in a state of alcohol intoxication.

The theft occurred during the day on April 23, 2025. The "customer" entered the sales area and took from the shelves packages of: Rimi eggs ("barn eggs"), Tilsit cheese, cottage cheese, salami, Ādaži Grill Collection barbecue mini sausages, ham, and chicken shashlik. In total – worth 28.87 euros.

All of this was hidden in the "customer's" bag, who simply walked out through the checkout without paying.

And ultimately ended up in court – for theft in a small amount (Article 180, Part 1 of the Criminal Code).

The punishment was set at: two months in a penal institution. However, the court counted two days spent in custody immediately after the theft towards this term. It resulted in: 1 month and 28 days.

Stole a pizza and ate it immediately

The Kurzeme District Court in Liepaja considered on January 29, 2026, the case of a defendant who was charged with two crimes: stealing food from a store and confronting his "ex," whom he was prohibited from approaching.

The theft occurred on July 12 of last year while in a state of alcohol intoxication. Upon entering the sales area, the future defendant took advantage of the fact that no one was watching his actions, took from the shelves: a classic Mego pizza, a sandwich with salmon and egg, and pork pilaf. The total cost of the products – 6.72 euros.

He ate the pizza right there in the hall. He took the other products out of the store without paying at the checkout.

For this trip to the store, he was later charged with theft in a small amount (Article 180, Part 1 of the Criminal Code).

But that’s not all. On the evening of September 29, 2025 - around 18:39, he arrived at the residence of his "ex," to whom he was not allowed to approach by court order. He stated that he wanted to meet with the child and stay overnight. But he was refused. After that, the future defendant got angry, and the woman got scared and ran to hide with neighbors.

As the court noted, in this way, the defendant intentionally violated the Kurzeme District Court's order for protection against violence, and his actions constituted a crime under Article 168 of the Criminal Code.

What was the outcome:

for the eaten pizza and taking other products from the store – imprisonment for 1 (one) month;
for the visit to the ex – imprisonment for 4 months, with probation supervision for 1 year and 6 months;

These punishments were partially summed up, and the total sentence was: imprisonment for a term of 7 (seven) months with probation supervision for 2 (two) years.

The court also ordered compensation for material damage in the amount of 6.72 euros in favor of the victim.

Saw and perforator – useful for household

On February 5, 2026, the Riga District Court in Jurmala sentenced a man to imprisonment for a series of thefts from stores. In total, it amounted to a small amount (the same Article 180, Part 1 of the Criminal Code).

in one store, he took from the shelf a package of "Lavazza oro" coffee beans and two packages of "Merrild Arabica" coffee beans worth a total of 96.97 euros. Believing that no one was watching him, he placed the stolen goods in a bag, threw a dark jacket over it, and left the store without paying.
in another store, he took from the shelf a BOSCH GBH 2-26 830W perforator worth 209 euros. He then placed the item in his backpack and left without paying.
in yet another store, he took a DEWALT DCS572NXJ cordless circular saw worth 254 euros. He placed the stolen item in his backpack and left without paying.

In between the thefts, there was also an episode: the thief was detained by security, and when the police arrived in response to a call, knowing that he faced criminal liability, he provided his brother's details and his residential address instead of his own.

What did the court decide: 10 months in prison. The court also ordered compensation for material damage in favor of the victims and to pay procedural costs in the amount of 145.20 euros for providing defense in the criminal process.