A man in China's southern city of Guangzhou has been jailed for life for taking funds from a malfunctioning ATM, local media reported on Tuesday. In April last year, Xu Ting let his friend in on his secret that the ATM deducted only 1 yuan from his account for every 1,000 yuan withdrawn. "Xu subsequently withdrew 175,000 yuan ($24,000) in 171 transactions while Guo withdrew 18,000 yuan," the Beijing News reported. Guo was jailed for a year after turning himself in while Xu remained on the run for a year before being apprehended and sentenced to life for theft. The sentence has sparked an outcry from local media. "Sentenced to life for unexpectedly discovering an ATM's malfunction and enticed into committing a crime is too harsh," the Beijing News said in an editorial. Xu's lawyer said the ATM was the responsibility of the bank and it had had ample time to recover the lost funds. Xu's actions should come under the lesser charge of embezzlement, it added. Xu has appealed against his sentence.
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