A 60-year-old man from Guadeloupe, a French overseas region, shocked locals after robbing a supermarket just to be jailed alongside his grandson.

The bizarre incident happened in Sainte-Rose, a commune in the north of the Guadeloupe archipelago, and has left both police and the public speechless.

According to reports, the man, a retired firefighter with no criminal record, entered the supermarket near a police station wearing a balaclava and holding a weapon.

He demanded the cash in the register but also took “a piece of Emmental cheese and a bottle of wine” before calmly walking to his car.

Moments later, police arrested him without resistance, which was exactly what he wanted. Investigations later revealed that his real intention was to be imprisoned alongside his grandson, who is currently serving time.

“He just wanted to be with his grandson” — Lawyer explains

The man’s lawyer, Léa Le Chevillier, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that her client’s actions were not motivated by greed but by desperation. She revealed that the elderly man had recently visited his grandson in prison and found him in distress.

During that visit, the man reportedly saw his grandson with a broken tooth after being bullied by fellow inmates. Deeply disturbed, he decided to get himself locked up so he could “protect and support” the boy from within.

“He wasn’t interested in money,” Le Chevillier said. “He only wanted to be in prison to comfort his grandson and spend some time with him.”

Judge shows leniency, orders therapy instead of jail

When brought before the court, the elderly man immediately admitted to the crime. Prosecutors charged him with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and rebellion, offences that could normally attract three to five years in prison.

However, the judge described the case as “completely unprecedented” due to the unusual motive behind the crime. Taking the man’s clean record and emotional state into account, the court chose compassion over punishment.

The man was ordered to compensate the supermarket, undergo psychological treatment, and stay away from the shopping centre. He was also granted legal permission to continue visiting his grandson without becoming an inmate himself.