22.11.2024 14:50
A woman in İzmir, who found the parking spot of a car inappropriate, broke the middle socket part while lifting the windshield wiper. The owner of the car took the matter to court, claiming that she had damaged his vehicle. The court converted the 1-year prison sentence given to the woman who lifted the wiper into a judicial fine of 5,000 lira.
Although it is a common practice to lift the wipers of cars parked inappropriately as a "warning," this situation caused trouble for a citizen in the Buca district of Izmir. On March 28, in the Akıncılar neighborhood, Elif İpek (32) lifted the wipers of a car belonging to Nazlı Aksu (35) because she found the parking spot inappropriate. During this time, when the middle socket part of the wipers came off, a dispute broke out between İpek and a man accompanying her and Aksu.
UP TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON REQUESTED FOR THE ONE WHO LIFTED THE WIPERS
The owner of the car, Aksu, took the matter to court through her lawyer Tamer Atabay. The indictment requested a prison sentence of 4 years to 3 years for Elif İpek for the crime of "partially or completely destroying, damaging, or harming someone else's movable or immovable property."
AKSU: I WANT COMPENSATION FOR MY DAMAGE
The second hearing of the case was held on November 12 at the Izmir 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. Aksu, who testified at the hearing, said, "On the day of the incident, I had sent my son to buy pide. I was waiting for him at the window. I saw the defendant and a man next to her lifting my wipers harshly as they passed in front of my car, so I went to them. I asked why they lifted my wipers. A dispute broke out between us. Due to the incident, the tooth in the socket of my wiper was broken. I later had it repaired for 1,000 TL. I want compensation for my damage. I am a complainant, and I want the defendant to be punished," she said.
IPEK: I LIFTED THE RIGHT WIPER, SHE SAID THE TOOTH OF THE LEFT WIPER WAS BROKEN
The defendant İpek denied the accusations against her and stated that she did not accept to compensate Aksu's damage. In her defense, İpek said, "I definitely did not break the wiper. I don't know how it was broken. I only lifted the wiper to warn. If I wanted to break it, I would have broken it. I lifted the right wiper. While she was testifying, she said the tooth of the left wiper was broken. I request that this matter be taken into account. I want my acquittal."
PRISON SENTENCE CONVERTED TO FINE
The judge sentenced İpek to 1 year in prison, considering the manner of the crime, the means used in committing the crime, the importance and value of the subject of the crime, and the motives of the crime and cause. The judge then converted this sentence into a judicial fine of 5,000 lira for 100 days and did not apply any unjust provocation reduction to the defendant.
LAWYER: THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE CAREFUL
Evaluating the decision, Aksu's lawyer Tamer Atabay said, "For the crime of damaging property to occur, it is absolutely not necessary for something to be broken. It is sufficient for it to be damaged, come off, or be irritated. Therefore, the public needs to be careful. Lifting wipers is common in our country. Again, as in this trial, one may face a prison sentence."