Ten young individuals from West Jutland, aged 18 to 20, were sentenced on Monday in the Court of Holstebro to between seven and ten days of conditional imprisonment for the theft of 31 road signs. The group, which consists of nine men and one woman, stole the signs from various locations in the Thisted Municipality over a period of one and a half years. Among the stolen signs were city and traffic signs, including names such as “Stenbjerg,” “Snedsted,” and “Nørre Vorupør,” as well as a sign for “National Park Thy.”
The young people confessed to the crime, explaining that the signs were intended for decoration in their workshop, where they work on cars and scooters. One of the accused, a 20-year-old man, admitted to stealing nine signs in two incidents, typically after consuming alcohol. Another 20-year-old participant noted that they believed the signs would enhance the appearance of their workshop.
The total value of the stolen signs has been estimated at 54,700 Danish kroner (approximately $8,200 USD). Although the guilty parties acknowledged their wrongdoing, they will initially not be required to compensate the municipality for the theft. This matter will be deferred to a civil lawsuit, according to Judge Lillian Lund Tinggaard, who characterized the case as “foolish.” She pointed out that while the actions may seem like harmless pranks to the young people, they still constitute theft of municipal property, which is illegal.
During the nearly one-hour court session, the ten young defendants were dressed in T-shirts and each had a water bottle in front of them. They accepted the verdict without objections. Prosecutor Jonas Nørgaard expressed satisfaction with the sentence, calling it appropriate given the circumstances of the case.
The theft of road and city signs is not uncommon in Denmark, and several municipalities have reported recurring incidents. Signs featuring unique city names such as “Tarm,” “Lem,” “Sæd” (which translates to “seed”), “Paris,” and “Rom” (the Danish word for “Rome”) are particularly sought after targets.