And finally… Swedish meatballs

One of Sweden’s top judges has been fined after stealing meatballs – as well as sausages, cheese and an entire Christmas ham – from a supermarket.

Mrs Justice Ann-Christine Lindeblad, a judge of the Supreme Court of Sweden for nearly 20 years, resigned in February after police began investigating her on two counts of petty theft.

The judge was accused of stealing goods worth up to 1,250 SEK (around €120) on 13 December 2021 and goods worth 336 SEK (around €32) from the same shop on 17 December 2021.

When confronted by supermarket staff, witnesses said the 67-year-old judge told them: “You do not know who you are dealing with. I am a judge in the Supreme Court.”

The judge accepted the facts put forward by prosecutors but denied intentionally stealing the items, Swedish legal news website Dagens Juridik reports.

She was issued with a fine of 50,000 SEK (around €4,800) to be paid over a 50-day period. The salary of a Supreme Court judge in Sweden is roughly €385,000 per year.

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