Berlin restaurant cheat jailed for binge attacks

BERLIN, Aug 2 (Reuters) A Berlin court has sentenced a man known as ''Schnitzel Stephan'' to 18 months in jail for cheating 64 restaurants in the past year when he was already on probation for previous unpaid eating binges.

The heavyset man of 160 kg, with a thin grey beard, would routinely order lamb chops, steak or Viennese schnitzel along with several beers. When the bill came, he either ran for the door or told the waiter he had no money.

Iris Berger, a spokeswoman for the Berlin Justice Department, said today the 43-year-old unemployed truck driver had been convicted on 64 counts of fraud. The total damage to restaurants was 4,100 dollars.

Reuters PD RN1510