Sometimes the best planned crimes can go horribly wrong. Either by accident or
stupidity. This is a list of the most stupid thieves.
1. Showing off your booty
Charles Taylor of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested for robbing a shoe store at knifepoint and stealing a $69 pair of size 10 1/2 tan hiking boots on December 18, 1996. At his trial, three months later, Taylor arrogantly rested his feet on the defence table. He was wearing a pair of size 10 1/2 tan hiking boots. The judge, James Fleetwood, was incredulous. ‘I leaned over and stared,’ he later said. ‘Surely nobody would be so stupid as to wear the boots he stole to his trial.’ But it turned out one person was that stupid. Taylor was convicted of aggravated robbery and sent back to jail in his stockinged feet.
2. Checking Out
Eighteen year old Charles A. Meriweather broke into a home in Northwest Baltimore on the night of November 22-23, 1978, raped the woman who lived there, and then ransacked the house. When he discovered that she only had $11.50 in cash, he asked her “How do you pay your bills?”
She Replied, “By cheque” and he ordered her to write out a cheque for $30. He then changed his mind and upped it to $50.
“Who shall I make it out to?” asked the woman, a 34 year old government employee.
“Charles A. Meriweather,” said Charles A. Meriweather, adding, “It better not bounce or I’ll be back.”
Meriweather was arrested several hours later.
1. Showing off your booty
Charles Taylor of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested for robbing a shoe store at knifepoint and stealing a $69 pair of size 10 1/2 tan hiking boots on December 18, 1996. At his trial, three months later, Taylor arrogantly rested his feet on the defence table. He was wearing a pair of size 10 1/2 tan hiking boots. The judge, James Fleetwood, was incredulous. ‘I leaned over and stared,’ he later said. ‘Surely nobody would be so stupid as to wear the boots he stole to his trial.’ But it turned out one person was that stupid. Taylor was convicted of aggravated robbery and sent back to jail in his stockinged feet.
2. Checking Out
Eighteen year old Charles A. Meriweather broke into a home in Northwest Baltimore on the night of November 22-23, 1978, raped the woman who lived there, and then ransacked the house. When he discovered that she only had $11.50 in cash, he asked her “How do you pay your bills?”
She Replied, “By cheque” and he ordered her to write out a cheque for $30. He then changed his mind and upped it to $50.
“Who shall I make it out to?” asked the woman, a 34 year old government employee.
“Charles A. Meriweather,” said Charles A. Meriweather, adding, “It better not bounce or I’ll be back.”
Meriweather was arrested several hours later.
3. Keep the change
In 1977, a thief in Southampton, England, came up with a clever method of
robbing the cash register at a local supermarket. After collecting a basketful
of groceries, he approached the checkout area and placed a £10 note on the
counter. The grocery clerk took the bill and opened the cash register, at which
point the thief snatched the contents and ran off. It turned out to be a bad
deal for the thief, since the till contained only £4.37 and the thief ended up
losing £5.63.
4. The masked man
Clive Bunyan ran into a store in Cayton, near Scarborough, England, and forced
the shop assistant to give him £157 from the till. Then he made his getaway on
his motorbike. To hide his identity, Bunyan had worn his full face helmet as a
mask. It was a smooth successful heist, except for one detail: he had forgotten
that across his helmet, in inch-high letters, were the words, “Clive Bunyan –
Driver”. Bunyan was arrested and ordered to pay for his crime by doing 200 hours
of community service.
5. Big mouth
Dennis Newton was on trial in 1985 for armed robbery in Oklahoma City. Assistant
District Attorney Larry Jones asked one of the witnesses, the supervisor of the
store that had been robbed, to identify the robber. When she pointed to the
defendant, Newton jumped to his feet, accused the witness of lying, and said, “I
should have blown your —ing head off!” After a moment of stunned silence, he
added, “If I’d been the one that was there.” The jury sentenced Newton to 30
years in prison.
6. Worst jump over
Stephen Le and two juvenile companions tried to break in to a parked pickup
truck in Larkspur, California, on the night of September 27, 1989. But the owner
caught them in the act, chased them, and hailed a police car. Le and one of his
friends climbed a fence and ran. It soon became apparent that they had chosen
the wrong fence – this one surrounded the property of San Quentin prison. The
suspects were booked for investigation of auto burglary and trespassing on state
property, although charges were never filed. “Nothing like this has ever
happened here before,” said Lieutenant Cal White. “People just don’t break in to
prison every day.”
7. Bad shot
In February 2004, Carlos Henrique Auad of Petropolis, Brazil, broke into a bar
near his home and stole a television set. A few nights later, Auad tried to
break in to the same bar through the roof. This time, carrying a gun, he slipped
and fell and shot himself in the right foot. Auad went straight home, but failed
to notice that he left a trail of blood that led right to his door. He was
arrested by police who found the television set.
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