The price of a bottle of vodka — 7 years behind bars: harsh sentence handed down in Chernihiv for store robbery

The price of a bottle of vodka — 7 years behind bars: harsh sentence handed down in Chernihiv for store robbery

In Chernihiv, a man was sentenced who, in a state of alcohol intoxication, carried out a bottle of vodka from one of the city’s supermarkets. He was found guilty under Part 4 of Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (robbery) and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.

Such a sentence was issued by the Desnyansky District Court on March 17.

The court registry states that this happened in the evening of June 18, 2025. The accused took a 0.5-liter bottle of vodka worth 91 hryvnia 58 kopecks from the display window. After that, he went to the checkout.

"Stopping near the checkout in close proximity to other store customers, realizing that his actions were noticeable to others and assessed as open theft, ignoring possible resistance from store employees and other persons, he hid the vodka bottle behind his trouser belt. After that, he left the store," the message states.

In court, the accused partially admitted his guilt and stated that he considered his actions secret. He explained that on that day, he went to the store with his wife to buy groceries.

"He approached the vodka shelf, looked around to see if anyone was watching, took the bottle. Then he stood in line with the hidden bottle and calmly left. He walked around nearby for about five minutes and returned to the store to tell his wife that he was going home. He calmly left the store again, walked about five meters, and heard someone shouting at him to stop and return what he had taken. That person did not identify themselves, so he told them to leave him alone and that he wouldn’t give anything back, and went home. Then the police arrived, and he gave them the stolen vodka bottle," the accused recounted.

A witness who works as a security guard in this store told the court that at the time of the theft, he was in the security room. A store employee entered there. The woman noted that "a man in military uniform is carrying out alcoholic beverages without paying at the checkout," and pointed to the person who did it.

"Approaching the accused, I suggested he stop and pay for the vodka, to which he said he had nothing. But I saw the bottle behind his belt on his back. I suggested he give back the vodka and leave, but the accused refused and ran towards Val, with a hammer in his hands, which he was swinging. Then I called the police," the security guard said.

The fact that the thief was dressed in military uniform was also confirmed by a store customer. She said she saw the man looking around, then taking a bottle of vodka, hiding it under his clothes behind his belt. She saw this, and he saw that she saw him, but without paying, he left the store.

The woman wanted to warn the saleswoman about it, but she was busy serving at the checkout.

She was afraid to confront the accused because he was drunk.

Taking into account the witnesses’ testimonies and that the state of intoxication is an aggravating circumstance, the court found the man guilty of committing a criminal offense under Part 4 of Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (robbery).

The sentence can be appealed within 30 days to the Chernihiv Court of Appeal.