Joker-clad 'Dark Knight' thief spared jail

THREE RIVERS, Mich., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A man caught trying to steal posters for "The Dark Knight" from a Three Rivers, Mich., cinema while dressed as the film's villain has been spared jail.

A spokeswoman for the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office said Spencer Taylor, 20, was sentenced to perform 16 hours of community service work and to pay victim restitution of $300 and court costs and fines after he pleaded guilty to one charge of malicious destruction of property worth between $200 and $1,000, the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette reported Thursday.

St. Joseph County District Judge Jeffrey Middleton, who also banned Taylor from returning to the Three Rivers 6 movie theater, said the 20-year-old faces a 1-day stint in jail if he does not complete the terms of his plea deal by March 1.

Taylor admitted to dressing as the Joker, the main villain of the latest Batman film, and attempting to steal "Dark Knight" related merchandise from the theater.