Greek man jailed for entering homes to sniff shoes

A 28-year-old man in northern Greece has been sentenced to one month in jail after being caught sneaking into his neighbours' homes to sniff their shoes, an act that left local residents disturbed.

The man, whose name has not been disclosed, admitted to a court in Thessaloniki that he was unable to explain his unusual behaviour, which caused him significant embarrassment.

Despite the incidents, the neighbours testified that the man had never shown any aggression during his intrusions.

The individual was arrested in the early hours of 8 October in the small town of Sindos, about 15 kilometres from Thessaloniki.

The police were alerted when a neighbour discovered the defendant in their yard, sniffing shoes that had been left outside to air.

The court was informed that there had been at least three other incidents like this over the past six months, even though neighbours had previously requested the defendant's family to intervene and stop him.

The man has now been directed to attend therapy sessions as part of his sentence.

The man told the court that he had no intention of breaking the law or harming anyone, and he expressed regret over his actions.