Bulgaria Jails Roma Cheery Thieves for 92 Years over Murder

The brazen crooks, pictured here in court, have confessed to the crime. Photo by Trud daily

Nine Roma cherry thieves have been sentenced to 92 years in prison for the gruesome killing of an orchard farmer two years ago, an appeals court ruled on Friday.

Plamen Momchilov, 42, was beaten to death by the Roma after he tried to stop them from invading the garden he guarded and steal the valuable cherries.

The crime occurred on June 23, 2009 in a village near the town of Kyustendil, Western Bulgaria.

The Roma, who were armed with sticks and shovel handles, have confessed to the crime. They have been until now free, pending the appeal.

The attack triggered an outrage in the region, prompting authorities to impose tough measures and deploy armed police, equipped with night-vision goggles.

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