A young man in Brazil has claimed he is “not a bad person” after stealing a priest’s car at gunpoint, later sending him an apology note in which he claimed he was “very high” at the time.

But clues in the note by Joao Marcos Landmann were enough for cops to track him down anyway and he was arrested for stealing the car and two mobile phones from the unnamed evangelical pastor at gunpoint outside his church following a service in the Brazilian city of Goiania.

The crime took place on 15th November and the 28-year-old suspect was eventually arrested on 16th December while driving a stolen motorbike.

However, the young man apparently decided to turn over a new leaf and hit local headlines after penning a lengthy apology note to the pastor whose car and phones he stole.

He wrote: “I beg you to forgive me for what I did. I’m very sorry and hurt. I’m not a bad person, but I was very high.”

According to the police, a woman called the pastor informing him that she had found one of his phones and arranged to meet him to hand it back.

When they met, the unnamed woman revealed that she was the suspect’s wife and she handed over Landmann’s handwritten letter in which he revealed where he had left the car, which the pastor later retrieved.

Landmann also revealed in the letter that he used to go to church, but was led astray by alcohol and drugs.

On the day of the crime, Landmann was wearing an ankle tag due to an armed robbery in June 2019 he took part in which he had managed to deactivate, according to reports.

The young man ended his letter: “Who knows, maybe you’ll become my pastor one day. Thank you.”

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

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