The World's Dumbest Criminals

[FelixAntonius]

From todays Daily Telegraph:-

Driver's £18,500 bill for ignoring parking fines.

A single mother of four whose friends told her that she did not have to bother paying parking fines has been left with a bill of £18,500.

Roma Wheldon managed to get 120 parking tickets in two years. Her friends told her that the authorities never bothered to chase up unpaid fines and so she stuffed them all in a bin and forgot about them. However, far from forgetting about the £60 fines, Southend council put a debt collection agency and bailiffs on the case and presented Miss Wheldon, 35, with the huge bill, telling her to pay up or face prison.

Fortunately for her, her grandfather, parents and brother have paid off £12,500 of the debt, which includes £10,000 in bailiffs' fees.

That leaves Miss Wheldon owing £6,000, which she has agreed to pay off at £100 a month.

Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... park15.xml

 

[rynner2]

Not sure if this is quite the right thread for this story, but it's certainly a grim reminder that crime does not pay:

'Pirates' behind couple's death

A British couple wanted for stealing a yacht in Cornwall may have been killed by pirates off the west African coast.
The bodies of Peter Clarke, 49, and his partner Sharon Arthurs-Chegini, 46, are reported to have been found a boat drifting off the coast of Senegal.

The authorities in Senegal believe the couple were killed by pirates.

The pair were wanted by Devon and Cornwall Police for the theft of a yacht from Mylor harbour near Falmouth, Cornwall last year.

The Foreign Office confirmed that two bodies had been found, but that formal identification was yet to take place.

Ms Arthurs-Chegini's father Terence has been reported as confirming the deaths from his home in south London.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they were awaiting confirmation that the couple had been killed.

Ms Arthurs-Chegini is known to have an address in Falmouth.

An inquest is expected to be held once the bodies are formally identified and returned to the UK.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/5371052.stm

 

[rynner2]

MAGISTRATES LABEL CCTV CAMERA THIEF AS 'RUBBISH'

11:00 - 14 October 2006

A thief who stole £3,500 worth of CCTV cameras but was caught after one of the devices captured his mugshot on film was labelled a "pretty rubbish burglar" by magistrates yesterday. Anthony Gardner, 37, stole numerous security cameras from pub walls and outside shops valued at about £300 each.

But the hapless thief was finally caught after he shinned up a drainpipe to grab a camera from its bracket outside the Railway Inn - in broad daylight.

Gardner was unaware that his actions were being fed to a video recorder inside the pub - which captured his face on film.

He was later arrested and confessed to officers to stealing nine CCTV cameras from around his home town of Plymouth, Devon.

When he appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court, chairman of the bench Peter Bailey told Gardner: "You are clearly a pretty rubbish burglar.

"I can only hope you are capable enough to abide by the terms of your bail."

Within hours of the burglary at the pub, landlady Sam Down had given Devon and Cornwall Police the footage with a close-up of view of Gardner's face.

But just a day after the photograph appeared in several newspapers, officers wrote to her and told her the case had been shut because of a "lack of evidence".

Gardner has pleaded guilty to two charges of theft of security cameras and asked for even others to be taken into account.

He was granted conditional bail to return to court for sentencing on November 10.

http://tinyurl.com/wxrbq

 

[rynner2]

'Pregnant' man fined in SA court

A South African man has been fined $140 for taking a week off work, telling his employers he was pregnant.
Charles Sibindana, 27, stole a certificate from a clinic during his pregnant girlfriend's checkup, a court near Johannesburg heard.

He then added his own details to the note and submitted it and took seven days off work, seemingly unaware that only women consult gynaecologists.

His employers became suspicious and investigated the matter.

On passing sentence Magistrate Bruno Van Eeden warned Mr Sibindana "not to walk around faking sick letters from gynaecologists" as if he was pregnant, the South African Press Association news agency reported.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6190772.stm

 

[rynner2]

16YRS JAIL FOR BOGUS TREE GANG

A GANG of bogus tree surgeons have been jailed for a total of 16 years after they were caught offering to prune a woman's telegraph pole.

Albert Bowers, 42, Edward Smith, 36, and Maurice Smith, 36, preyed on 22 elderly victims by charging extortionate sums for gardening jobs.

Passing sentence, Judge David Griffiths branded their behaviour "depraved". One man, in his 80s, was forced to pay £10,000 for jobs, including £1,000 to chop down a tree.

Police found £225,530 when they raided one of the gang's caravans.

They were rumbled when 60-year-old Sandra Martin of Old Basing, Hants, called police after Bowers offered to prune a "poplar tree" which was a telegraph pole.

The three were found guilty at Winchester crown court of conspiracy to defraud and damage property. Bowers was jailed for seven and a half years and the Smiths four and a half years. They targeted 24 homes in Hants, Berks, Sussex and Surrey between 1997 and 2004.

http://tinyurl.com/yffyny

 

[Min Bannister]

Give me all your money or I'll put on Channel 5!

A robber who tried to hold up a Chinese takeaway with a TV remote control has been jailed for four years.

William Dunnachie entered the Welcome Inn in Stirling and threatened to "shoot" the owner, Lai Wong.

At the High Court in Edinburgh the 38-year-old, who admitted the attempted robbery in 2005, was told he would be supervised for three years on release.

He received a further two years and three months for admitting being concerned in the supply of diazepam.

On the day of the robbery, Mrs Wong refused to hand over any cash and dialled 999 for help.

Dunnachie, still brandishing the remote control, ran off and was later arrested after being caught on CCTV.

A total of 261 diazepam tablets with a maximum street value of £261 were also found in his car.

Dunnachie, of Strathmore Drive, Stirling had earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of diazepam in his home and at the city's Thistle Shopping Centre.

BBC

 

[OneWingedBird]

serves the theiving gits right... hope it was a hard night's work for sod all...

Thieves take worthless rail signs

Thieves targeting railway memorabilia have been caught on CCTV stealing virtually worthless replica signs.

Original signs can fetch up to £11,000 but copies on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway are worth much less.

West Yorkshire Police say a string of thefts from the railway, could have been carried out by the same men.

The thieves were caught on camera stealing the signs from an historic railway station in the heart of West Yorkshire's Bronte Country.

They were filmed at the remote Damems station in the middle of December.

I suspect they've been more stolen to order either by ,or for, some sort of rather sad nerdy railway enthusiast
David Pearson, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

Det Insp John Mountain, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "We are linking this incident to a number of incidents on the same railway line stretching back over the previous three or four months.

"This line attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and again I would appeal to anybody who has seen anything suspicious at the railway station or other stations to contact us."

Damams station was opened in 1847 and is the smallest full-sized station in Britain.

Although the signs that were stolen are replicas, genuine 1950s BR (British Rail) enamel signs - known as totems - can be worth a fortune.

In Scotland a record £11,000 was paid for an original totem, but most fall between £1,500 and £3,000.

'Really worthless'

In Yorkshire, for example, an original totem carrying the name "Heckmondwike" may be worth up to £4,000.

David Pearson of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway said: "We've had quite a few things disappear over the last year or so.

"But if they were professionals they'd probably know what they were going for, and they'd know that the things they've nicked are, really, worthless.

"I suspect they've been more stolen to order either by ,or for, some sort of rather sad nerdy railway enthusiast."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west ... 272835.stm

 

[rynner2]

Marathon runner jailed for fraud

A man who ran several marathons while claiming disability benefits has been given a 10-month prison sentence.
Paul Appleby, 47, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, started claiming benefits in 1994 - saying he needed a wheelchair or walking frame to walk.

But Appleby, who claimed £22,300 in total, joined a running club in 2001, competing in road races and marathons.

Appleby admitted the fraud in December and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.

'Change in circumstances'

The 47-year-old former miner said he had been forced to retire from work after suffering with back problems and was genuinely disabled.

But the court heard he joined the Sutton-in-Ashfield Harriers running club in 2001 to try to lose weight put on after his retirement, and was still claiming full disability benefit.

Appleby told the court that in five minutes he could only walk 55 yards and if he left the house, had to use a wheelchair.

But after joining the running club, he went on to take part in several races including the London and Robin Hood Marathons.

The prosecution said that after the Department for Work and Pensions questioned him over the benefit claims in 2006, Appleby admitted a "massive change in his circumstances" and said he did not deserve to receive benefits.

Although Appleby did not explain his actions, the prosecution told the court his partner was "seriously mentally ill" and he had been distracted from informing the DWP.

Between December 2001 and January 2006, Appleby claimed a total of £22,300 in overpayments.

Judge David Price said: "This was blatant dishonesty and that sort of dishonesty affects all taxpayers in this country."

The Department of Work and Pensions minister, David Plaskitt MP, said: "Most benefit frauds are small but a few extreme cases involve quite large sums of money.

"What people need to understand who think they can get away with this is that once caught, not only do they face a criminal record and prosecution and possibly even a prison sentence, we will also have the money back as well."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nott ... 278575.stm

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Burglary Suspect Picks Bad Hiding Place


Jan 12, 5:36 AM (ET)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Brian Valentino sure picked the wrong hiding place to elude police. The 33-year-old burglary suspect was being transported yesterday to the Onondaga County jail in Syracuse when he kicked out a back window of the police car and dove headfirst through the opening.

Still handcuffed, Valentino ran a short distance and ducked into a building, where he ran down a hallway and hid behind a door.

There was one problem. His hiding spot was inside the headquarters of the county sheriff's office. Apparently, Valentino didn't notice the big yellow star on the entrance.

A retired deputy working part time in the building noticed the snow-covered, handcuffed man dash into the lobby. He followed him down the hall and held onto Valentino until the officer he escaped from arrived on the scene.

Valentino now faces additional charges for the escape attempt.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070112/D8MJM9M00.html

 

[rynner2]

A KARATE coach secretly filmed giving lessons while falsely claiming £33,000 in disability benefits was jailed yesterday.

Kevin O'Connor, 49, said he could barely walk because of a bad back.

But he was seen demonstrating falls and throws at a martial arts session.

O'Connor, who had made a genuine injury claim in 1994, was filmed after an anonymous tip-off.

He was told by a judge at Stoke-on-Trent crown court: "This was a considerable breach of trust."

O'Connor, of Stoke, was jailed for 15 months.

He admitted failing to notify a change of circumstances.

http://tinyurl.com/2vm3qs

 

[filcee]

Burglar caught red-handed in air conditioner

Burglar caught red-handed in air conditioner
Fri Feb 2, 9:20 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Police arrested a suspected burglar who got stuck in the casing of an air conditioner that had been removed, his head and arms dangling out of the grocery store wall with the rest of his body inside...

source

 

[ramonmercado]

Daft robber jailed for part in The Great Non-escape

By Sonya McLean
A HAPLESS criminal was jailed for two years yesterday for his part in a robbery that was so badly planned the court was told it could be turned into a Hollywood comedy.


Martin Moore (30) was the lookout man in the robbery. He used his own car in the getaway but it ran out of petrol just half a mile from the crime scene.

A passer-by witnessed the robbery and called gardaí, giving them a description of the men and the getaway car.

Mr Moore and his co-accused then pushed the car to a security hut and asked the guard for a petrol can.





The guard was suspicious because he had seen a garda helicopter and patrol cars in the area, but he agreed to provide a petrol can on condition that one of the men wait in the car.

Mr Moore then walked back towards the shop they had just robbed and bought petrol, using some of the €180 cash they had taken.

On his way back to the car he was stopped by gardaí. He threw the money away and surrendered.

Gardaí found his co-accused in the car with mobile phones that had also been taken in the robbery.

Mr Moore pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing the Advanced video store in Clonee, County Meath, on November 15, 2005.

Mr Derek Cooney BL, defending, submitted to Judge Katherine Delahunt that “Hollywood could make a film out of the robbery because it was so badly planned”.

Mr Cooney said Mr Moore had been abusing cocaine for the last five years and was using a bag of heroin a day.

He had no criminal convictions prior to this drug addiction, which he had started to combat by attending a local treatment centre.

Garda Brendan O’Hora agreed with Mr Cooney that the robbery was “a comedy of errors.”

Mr Moore had bought €5 in petrol earlier that day and had taken some cocaine before he and his accomplice set out to rob the shop because they thought it was an easy target.

Mr Moore had every opportunity to escape and would have heard the garda helicopter, but rather than abandoning the car when it ran out of petrol he drew attention to himself by looking for help.

Garda O’Hora accepted counsel’s suggestion that Mr Moore was “no criminal mastermind”.

Judge Delahunt described the robbery as “an amateurish enterprise” but emphasised that it was still a robbery that had terrified an innocent victim. Mr Moore’s co-accused had threatened to cut the staff member’s throat.

She took into account that although Mr Moore had 16 previous convictions, they were all for road traffic offences and this was his first serious crime.

“It’s fortunate you were caught so early in what could have been a new career path,” she told Mr Moore.

Judge Delahunt suspended the last year of the sentence on condition that Mr Moore keep the peace and be well-behaved for two years on his release from prison.

Dumb

 

[rynner2]

this criminal was handicapped by poor language skills...

Quick-thinking pilot foils hijacker with the help of passengers

Sam Knight and agencies

The armed hijacker of an African aircraft was overpowered by passengers and crew last night when the captain of the jet deliberately braked suddenly on landing in the Canary Islands.

Ahmedou Mohamed Lemine, a 20-year veteran of Air Mauritania, realised during his conversations with the 31-year-old hijacker, who was seeking asylum in France, that his assailant did not speak French and that, on the moment of landing, he would be only person not wearing a seatbelt.

So in the minutes before touching down at Gandó Airport, on Gran Canaria, Captain Lemine briefed his mainly-French speaking passengers and crew over the public address system that he would slam on the brakes as soon as he landed and then quickly accelerate, hoping to knock the man, who had two automatic pistols, off his feet.

The plan worked and, according to Spanish officials today, the hijacker, named as Mohamed Abderraman, tumbled over and dropped one of his guns before six men, including a Mauritanian mayor, stormed the pilot's cabin and threw a pot of boiling water on his groin and chest.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said today that the Air Mauritania Boeing 737 took off from the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, yesterday evening carrying 71 passengers and a crew of eight. As the aircraft started to descend for a scheduled stop in Nouadhibou in the north of the country, the hijacker rose from his seat in the fifth row and demanded that the jet change course for Paris.

When he was told that the aircraft did not have the fuel to reach France, the hijacker asked the captain to land in the city of Djala in the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara -- it remains unclear whether the man is Mauritanian or from the disputed territory -- but the Moroccan authorities refused permission.

It was as the aircraft continued to its original destination that Captain Lemine and his crew began to form their plan. Speaking in French, which is commonly spoken in Mauritania, he asked women and children to move to the back of the jet and for a group of men to ready for the unsettled landing. A flight attendant boiled a kettle.

After the landing, 20 passengers and the hijacker were taken to hospital for minor injuries. Two passengers were also slightly scalded by the boiling water thrown on the assailant, according to the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.

Passengers and authorities described their fear that the hijacker, who was not thought to be affiliated to any extremist group, was a terrorist. His hijacking coincided with the first day of the trial in Spain of 29 people accused of organising the 2004 Madrid train bombings.

“We were afraid. We thought it was people from al-Qaeda or the Algerian GSPC who were going to cut our throats,” Aicha Mint Sidi, a 45-year-old woman who was on the plane told the Associated Press, referring to the an extremist Islamist group.

“I trembled during and after the hijacking. I thought the plane was going to blow up any minute, either in mid-air or on landing,” said another passenger, Dahi Ould Ali, 52.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 396430.ece

 

[rynner2]

..this one failed to consider that chip shops sell mushy peas!

Chippy's mushy peas heroes fight off raider
By Paul Keaveny

A MASKED raider bit off more than he could chew when he attempted to rob a Bolton chip shop.

The owners fought him off with hot mushy peas and a large pan of boiling water containing meat puddings.

And yesterday the robber, Kieran Naylor, aged 21, of Monks Lane, Breightmet, was jailed for three years.

Naylor had been armed with a hammer and the judge at Bolton Crown Court said he had put the chip shop owners through a terrifying experience. The chippy, in New Lane, Breightmet, was targeted by Naylor, wearing a white mask and a hooded anorak, on September 21 last year.

Two regular customers were being served at the shop in New Lane, Breightmet, when Naylor struck.

He jumped over the counter and repeatedly hit 65-year-old George Tung, with a hammer.

Mr Tung's partner, Helen Cheung, aged 61, then threw a pan of mushy peas at the robber, causing him to slip.

After landing a number of blows on Mr Tung, Naylor moved to the cash register.

It was at this point Mr Tung and Ms Cheung, aged 61, together picked up a large pan of boiling water, which was simmering with meat puddings, and threw it over their attacker.

Naylor fled from the shop empty handed..

Mr Tung, who suffered cuts to his head and burns on his left arm and back, yesterday branded Naylor a "bully".

"We thought he would get at least five years, but it doesn't matter.

"It takes time to get over these things, but I am OK now and we are back to normal."

He said Naylor was known in the area and that many of his customers would be relieved he was behind bars.

"He was one of the worst in this area. He was a bully, " said Mr Tung, who is originally from Hong Kong but has lived in Bolton for more than 16 years.

Naylor pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob.

Ann Hughes, prosecuting, told the court that police found a discarded pile of clothing near the chip shop.

A police dog traced Naylor's scent back to his address, but he was not found until the next day when police were called to a domestic disturbance in Starkie Road, Tonge Moor.

Naylor was found lying under a duvet with serious burns to his right arm, chest and neck, He was arrested and then taken to hospital for treatment, where he remained for a number of weeks.

Jeremy Lasker, defending, said alcohol was a factor in Naylor's behaviour and that he could not remember the chip shop incident.

"He is remorseful about what he has done. He really is shamefaced about it. He continues to tell me that he can't remember the details of it or how he got involved.

"But there's no doubt he got the hammer from somewhere. If he doesn't change his ways, his prognosis is not good."

Judge Timothy Appleby told Naylor: "I know you appreciate the terrifying experience that you caused to the complainants, a man of 65 and a woman of 61, getting on with their business.

"Clearly anything other than a significant prison sentence is not appropriate."

In addition to his sentence of three years, Naylor was given an extra six months, to run concurrently, for breach an anti-social behaviour order.

link

edited by TheQuixote: fixing link

 

[ramonmercado]

I guess this says it all: His behaviour was so challenging that a special school said it could no longer deal with him.

'World's dumbest criminal' jailed for 10 years on drug, theft charges


JUDGE Michael White has spoken out about what he has called "the unfortunate, ill-informed comment and criticism" of the sentencing of drug dealers found in possession of drugs worth in excess of €13,000.

He made his comment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when he imposed a total of 10 years in sentences on a 20-year-old man who appeared before him on drugs, robbery, trespass and theft offences.

Patrick Darcy, of Loughlinstown Park, Loughlinstown stashed 1kg of cocaine worth €105,000 and a sawn-off shot gun into a hedge surrounding Archbishop McQuaid primary school which backed onto his own house. He also robbed €525 from a Ladbrokes bookmakers office and burgled a house in Glenageary.

He admitted committing the offences on dates between May 5 and November 8, 2005 and when interviewed by gardai described himself and his accomplices - who robbed €525 from a branch of Ladbrokes bookmakers - as the "world‘s dumbest criminals". He said that he had spent his €60 share of the cash on drugs.

Darcy admitted he jumped over the Ladbrokes counter and took the €525 from the till but said he wouldn't have had the "bottle" to do the robbery "if I had not been stoned out of my head".

Judge White said that Darcy's situation illustrated the problems faced by sentencing judges when deciding if a defendant's personal circumstances allowed for a deviation from the mandatory sentence. "The reality of the individual also has to be dealt with and in this case he was a chronic drug addict who had been failed by society having received no education from the age of 13," the judge said.

Judge White said he took into account what he referred to as "serious aggravating factors in the case" - that Darcy had a previous conviction for drug dealing and was actively engaged in the sale and supply of drugs.

He sentenced him to 10 years for possession of cocaine for sale or supply, but said the sentence should be reviewed in five years' time, ordering an psychologist and probation report for that date. He also jailed Darcy for three years for the Ladbrokes robbery and the Glenageary house burglary and theft.

Mr Coleman Fitzgerald SC, defending, told Judge White that Darcy was expelled from Archbishop McQuaid school at an very early age and was soon after diagnosed as having ADHD behaviour syndrome.

His behaviour was so challenging that a special school said it could no longer deal with him.

Sonya McLean


www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories ... e_id=15291

 

[uair01]

A 35-year old arsonist from The Hague has suffered severe burns while trying to set light to an appartment building in Delft. According to the police he entered the building via the balcony. While trying to set the appartment ablaze the man caught fire himself. The man ran outside on the gallery and collapsed there. Police suspect that relational problems led the man to his deed.

http://www.ad.nl/denhaag/delft/article1133213.ece

 

[lupinwick]

A man who was found dressed in latex and handcuffs brought a donkey to his room in a Galway city centre hotel, because he was advised “to get out and meet people,” the local court heard last week.
Thomas Aloysius McCarney with an address in south Galway was charged with cruelty to animals, lewd and obscene behaviour, and with being a danger to himself when he appeared before the court on Friday. He was also charged with damage to a mini-bar in the room, but this charge was later dropped when the defendant said that it was the donkey who caused that damage.
Solicitor for the accused Ms Sharon Fitzhenry said that her client had been through a difficult time lately and that his wife had left him and that his life had become increasingly lonely.

Source

Hmmm

 

[placeholder]

aaah, i was looking for this in Urban Legends. it's a nice one.

the Unlawful Accommodation of Donkeys Act 1837

that's a nice touch, as is the name of the receptionist.

 

[rynner2]

No donkeys here...

Villagers thwart robbery attempt

People in a Cornish village have been thanked by police after a postmistress and her dog scared off a would-be robber and other locals caught him.
Shann Rodgers, from Goldsithney, near Penzance, and cross-breed dog Holly frightened the man away after he threatened Ms Rodgers with a knife.

Other villagers then carried out a citizen's arrest after catching the would-be robber, Dominic Ryan Edwards.

Edwards, 22, of no fixed address, was jailed for attempted robbery.

Shann Rodgers, 49, said she was suspicious of Edwards as soon as he entered the shop.

She said: "He came up to the counter, but I felt uncomfortable, so I stepped back.

"He pulled out a knife and said, 'I'm not joking', to which I said 'Neither am I', and called Holly."

The five-year-old dog then "came flying", causing Edwards to flee from the post office.

He ran off, followed by Ms Rodgers and Holly, before other locals gave chase.

Steve Kusnarz and Dean Cheshire caught up with him and detained him.

Guilty plea

Dean Cheshire said: "We frog-marched him back down the road, and waited for the police.

"It was scary at the time. But you just react, I suppose."

Dc Colin Paul of Devon and Cornwall Police said the force "wouldn't normally recommend that members of the public tackle offenders who have got weapons".

However, he added: "But in this case we're very grateful for the action of the two men who chased Edwards outside and in detaining him until the police arrived."

Edwards was jailed for two-and-a-half years on Wednesday after admitting attempted robbery at Truro Crown Court.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6409967.stm

 

[uair01]

Armed robber offers bank customers loans
Surrounded blagger mans the phones
By Lester Haines
Published Friday 2nd March 2007 14:21

According to Austrian police, Guenther Baum "stormed into the Bawag bank on the main shopping street in Vienna waving a gun". His choice of target, however, proved ill-advised, since the bank was "next door to the country's special forces headquarters and a police station".

Duly surrounded, Baum made his way to the building's first floor with three staff and a customer as hostages, and then rather agreeably "started taking calls from customers offering loans as the police waited outside".

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/02/austrian_armed_blagger/

 

[WhistlingJack]

Thief uses head as battering ram

Thief uses head as battering ram

A burglar used his head to smash through a plate glass door at a school before stealing a £2,500 television.

CCTV footage shows the ram-raider running head-first through the glass before returning with the 42-inch plasma screen.

Staff at Walbottle Technology College in Newcastle say the thief, who appeared uninjured, was lucky not to kill himself.

Police said people usually threw things to break windows.

College head Mike Booth said the intruder was lucky the shards of glass had fallen to the floor after fragmenting.

He said: "The glass could have cut his throat.

"If it had been toughened glass he could have broken his neck and if it had been older glass it would have cracked and become jagged and he could have severed an artery.

"He was lucky, but it would have been his own fault if he had been hurt."

Pc Gary White, of Northumbria Police, said he had never heard of a burglar using this technique to enter a building.

"Usually people throw things through or break a window and climb through.

"It's just a weird incident and I can't understand why he has done this."

The Hitachi television had been hanging from a wall in the reception of the college.

The break-in occurred at the end of February.

Story from BBC NEWS:

Published: 2007/03/06 20:19:18 GMT

© BBC MMVII

 

[lupinwick]

A man who dressed up as Buho, a female elf, has been convicted by a jury at Belfast Crown Court of taking underwear from a shop in a knifepoint raid.

Robert Boyd, 45, from Broadlands in Carrickfergus, held up staff at the Orchid shop in Belfast disguised in a wig, hat and glasses.

He told the court he had been in a role-playing game at the time and may have blurred reality and fantasy.

Boyd was released on bail. Sentencing was adjourned for probation reports.

In court on Thursday, ten jurors dismissed Boyd's defence and two believed it.

During the three-day trial, the jury heard that Boyd wore a disguise of a blonde curly wig, reading glasses and a beany hat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6430683.stm

Could have gone under the human condition I suppose. Oh well.

 

[MrRING]

The Cookie Monster Strikes!

'Cookie Monster' Allegedly Steals From Girl Scouts

ATLANTA -- If you think you’ve gotten used to news about crime -- brace yourself for the latest. This time, police tell us, a guy stole Girl Scout cookies from a 7-year-old girl trying to sell them.

It happened in Sandy Springs where people are appalled.

Sometimes instead of the scout taking the cookies to the customers, they let the customers come to the lure of the cookies -- which a group of 7-year-old girls did in front of one of their homes when two teenagers in a pickup drove up.

“Girls are selling Girl Scout cookies outside their house on the little table and he said he wanted to buy some cookies and she gave him a box of Tagalongs, and he grabbed them and said, ‘Catch me if you can’ and took off,” said Lt. Steve Rose with the Sandy Springs Police Department.

Police were already just a few blocks away looking for the same truck for cutting donuts in some lawn and pulled over 17-year-old Sean Michael McGoff of Alpharetta and his younger buddy.

“And the mother of this child that was selling cookies came up to them and said, ‘That’s the car that stole my daughter’s cookies,” said Lt. Rose.

The officer said he smelled alcohol on the driver and looked in the car.

“And he’s got the box of cookies in the front seat so the fruits of the crime are there,” said Lt. Rose.

The community is appalled. “And for him to just come up and take them, that’s really horrible,” said Sandy Springs resident Serai Christian.

Police Lt. Steve Rose summed it up when asked by the AJC who steals cookies from a Girl Scout?

"Certainly not a Boy Scout."

 

[rynner2]

Here's a sweet story:

£70,000 Cadbury eggs lorry stolen

A lorry containing Cadbury chocolate eggs worth an estimated £70,000 has been stolen in Staffordshire.
Thieves tricked the driver, who had stopped near Lichfield en route from the Birmingham factory to Yorkshire, saying the van was shedding its load.

When he got out of his cab to investigate, the men jumped in and made off with the eggs on Monday.

But they may end up eating the snacks themselves, as a Cadbury spokesman said the eggs would be hard to sell.

"The criminal fraternity are pretty thick, it's not likely that a reputable retailer will buy them and it's likely that they will turn up at car boot sales in the area," he added.

'New delivery'

"The amount stolen is a minor quantity on the grand scale of things as we make between 30 and 40 million eggs in our Bournville plant each Easter.

"The retailer we were sending them to will get a new delivery very soon."

The lorry had stopped in a lay-by on the A38 after leaving the Bournville factory when the theft happened.

Police believe three thieves were involved. The rest of the gang made off in a grey Subaru Impreza.

One of the suspects is described as white, aged between 25 and 30, about 5ft 10in tall and with short hair.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west ... 469489.stm

Of course, it could have been a raid by the secret government anti-obesity squad..... :shock:

 

[WhistlingJack]

"The criminal fraternity are pretty thick, it's not likely that a reputable retailer will buy them and it's likely that they will turn up at car boot sales in the area," he added

If I stole £70,000 worth of Easter eggs, that's how I'd be looking to dispose of them and I'm sure that the people who buy them won't ask too many questions either; rather than being thick, I think those who stole the eggs knew exactly what they were doing.

 

[rynner2]

...rather than being thick, I think those who stole the eggs knew exactly what they were doing.

..and I think that a few plain-clothes detectives might well be visiting the car boot sales and taking particular interest in anyone selling Cadbury's eggs!

 

[rynner2]

Blood in monkey cage 'led to thief'
Last Updated: 2:48am GMT 23/03/2007

A thief who broke into a zoo enclosure to steal Spongebob the Bolivian squirrel monkey was set upon by the animal's companions, a court heard yesterday.

Spongebob was found in Brixton days after being stolen
Marlon Brown, 23, was scratched and bitten and left behind a blood sample, which allowed police to identify him through his DNA, the jury was told.

Spongebob was found in the street days after the theft and returned to the zoo.

Brown, of Brixton, south London, was said to be part of a gang of around eight who allegedly waited until closing time at Chessington World Of Adventure in Surrey to launch the raid last July.

They used a stick to prize open wire meshing at the monkey enclosure, and put Spongebob - valued at £2,000 on the black market - into Brown's rucksack, the court heard.

But the nine other monkeys went wild, with one jumping on Brown's head as he reached into the cage to retrieve his passport, which had fallen from the rucksack.

He suffered scratches on his back and bites to his finger. Blood stains left at the scene matched Brown's DNA, the court was told.

Spongebob was found playing with children on the Notre Dame Estate in Brixton two days later.

Sonia Freeman, the head of mammals at Chessington, told the jury: "He was extremely nervous, he was very frightened, he seemed quite anxious.

"He had been quite a laidback, happy little monkey. He was very thirsty and had a kink in his tail."

In police interviews Brown said he was an "animal lover" and had tried to convince the others to return the monkey or he would die.

He denies one charge of theft. The trial continues.

http://tinyurl.com/2a27ql

 

[tastyintestines]

KFC worker, son allegedly stage robbery

Mon Apr 2, 10:38 PM ET

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A fast-food worker had her son punch her in the face in an attempt to stage a robbery outside a KFC restaurant, police said. Tina Marie Brown, 41, and Brandon Lee Deere, 24, both of Fayetteville were arrested Thursday for theft and filing a false police report.






Police received a robbery report outside a KFC in Fayetteville at about midnight Thursday. Brown told police that a robber punched her in the face while she was changing her car's tire and stole her purse — along with the restaurant's bank deposit bag, which contained $1,137 in cash and checks, authorities said.

According to police, Brown's son drove up as authorities were investigating the robbery. Police said Deere seemed nervous, and when authorities searched his car they found the money and Brown's purse.

Brown later admitted to having her son punch her in the face, police said.

___

Information from: Northwest Arkansas Times, http://www.nwanews.com/times/

Link*

*EDIT: Link shortened by WhistlingJack

 

[rynner2]

End of the road for bus thief
Alan Hamilton

PORTSMOUTH The four o’clock bus from Portsmouth to Ipswich wasn’t good enough for Paul Hughes. It isn’t direct and the fare is £36.80.

So he stole his own. But his single-decker was in collision with a lorry on the M25, leaving the driver with whiplash injuries and Hughes with a ruptured spleen.

Hughes was then taken to Southampton General Hospital, where he stole a Volkswagen Golf belonging to a doctor, drove home, and kept the car for a week. Then he stole another bus, this time with no apparent route or destination in mind. It was then that he was arrested.

At Portsmouth Crown Court, Hughes, 20, was jailed for two years and four months after admitting one count of theft, three counts of driving while disqualified, and three counts of taking a vehicle without consent.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 610352.ece

 

[rynner2]

HUNT FOR NIGHTCLUB ARSONIST
11:00 - 05 May 2007

An arsonist set himself on fire as he tried to burn down a Westcountry nightclub.

Thousands of pounds damage was caused at the recently reopened Bohemia club in Torwood Street, Torquay, when the mystery attacker struck on Wednesday night.

Witnesses saw the offender run towards Torwood Gardens with his trousers on fire after starting the blaze at the club, which has just had a £500,000 revamp.

He discarded his burning jacket, the remains of which were found near the entrance to the club formerly known as Claire's.

The alarm was raised at 10pm by head doorman Brendon Bastin, who was at an Indian takeaway nearby when he saw flames and smoke coming from the club, which was closed.

He summoned help from staff at Hooks Bar and Grill where manager Aaron Clark grabbed an extinguisher to tackle the blaze before firefighters arrived.

Mr Clark said he and his colleagues emptied several buckets of water over the burning jacket, left just outside their premises, before using a carbon dioxide extinguisher on the main fire.

"I sprayed the stuff under the door and the fire was soon out. Bits were still smouldering, but we'd run out of the CO2," he said. He said CCTV footage showed a man sitting near the entrance for about ten minutes before going into action with a petrol can.

Mr Clark said: "Suddenly there is a big flash and he's running away on fire, trying to put out the flames on his left leg." :shock:

Club owner Adrian Hobbs said the damage was confined to the entrance area, both inside and out.

Police tipped off the casualty unit at Torbay Hospital, but no one arrived needing treatment for burns.

Two fire crews went to the club, where they used a hose reel to make sure the flames were out.

Thermal imaging cameras were used to check there were no remnants of flames behind the walls.

The hydraulic platform was also sent to the scene, but was not used.

A spokesman confirmed that a green five-litre petrol can was found there.
[At least he used unleaded! ]

Det Sgt Rob Kingdon, of Torquay CID, said the can and CCTV footage was seized for analysis.

He urged anyone with information about the fire to contact police on 08452 777444, quoting crime FT/07/3831, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

He said: "A witness has reported seeing someone trying to set fire to the club's front door. He then either accidentally or deliberately sets fire to himself."

http://tinyurl.com/yomvdy