A 33-year-old man from Antwerp was sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Brugge Criminal Court on Thursday for extortion, fraud, and breach of trust.
The man failed to pay several hotel bills in addition to forcing a woman to withdraw €300 from her bank account.
The prosecution had initially requested a 16-month prison sentence.
On the night of 16 January, the man stayed at a guesthouse in Brugge, but did not pay his €96 bill and was kicked out. He also borrowed €50 from the owner of the guest house but did not repay it.
The man later stayed at a hotel-restaurant in Oostkamp, West Flanders, until 24 January without paying his €520 bill.
He accrued an additional €101 in restaurant charges and left an unpaid €36 bill at a nearby pita snack bar.
On 21 January, during his stay in Oostkamp, he threatened a woman with a weapon and forced her to withdraw €300 for him.
The police were contacted by the hotel managers in Oostkamp on 24 January.
The suspect was arrested but exercised his right to remain silent during questioning. He was later summoned to the Brugge Criminal Court, but did not attend the hearing.
It was subsequently revealed that he had 32 prior convictions, including a 24-month prison term for hostage-taking, assault, and death threats.
On Thursday, the court sentenced him to 24 months in prison along with a €1,600 fine.
