As previously reported, two idiotic robbers thought it would be smart to break into Sydney’s iconic live music venue Annandale Hotel, pinch $5,000 in petty cash, helped themselves to a few beers, and then – in a case of brazen arrogance or (more likely) sheer idiocy, decided to stick around for a few drinks in clear view of the pub’s CCTV cameras.
Big mistake. Having been caught on camera, the venue’s owners the Rule brothers, took to their Facebook to help apprehend the crooks who are making themselves eligible ast the world’s worst crooks.
But there’s good news to go with the bad, as the crooks are also making themselves eligible as world’s stupidest robbers. As the venue owners write on their Facebook page today;
“These two geniuses broke into the hotel this morning. Managed to break our till valued at 5K. Fortunately they were dumb enough to hang around for a few beers and smile to the cameras. First loyal punter to name and shame these clowns scores a slab of beer on the house. Don’t recognize these mugs? Do us a favour and share this post on your page. Thanks in advance for your support. Lots of love, The Rule Brothers.”
Turns out the two youths in question have decided to face the music and turn themselves in to local police.
As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, a 15-year-old boy from Stanmore walked into Newtown police station at 11pm yesterday, while his foolish accomplice, a 14-year-old female from Balmain, turned herself in this morning.
Police beleive that the the footage and images of the two youth’s break-in, which was widely circulated through media and social networks, certainly helped in convincing the pair to come forward.
“It’s certainly not the crime of the century,” said Detective Inspector Paul Pisanos, “but the stir up from the media, social networking sites and the posting of the CCTV eventually, I think it’s fair to say, put the pressure on them that was required.”
Detective Pisanos also commented that pressure from mum and dad must have helped too. “I think there was parental pressures as well. The positive aspect of it is that … unlike many [such] cases, the parents are aware and supporting their kids and helping resolve the matter with police.”
Dumb and Dumber have now been charged with aggravated break and enter, with no further charges being applied at this stage, and will appear before Bidura Children’s Court in three weeks to face their crimes.
As for the two’s motivations? “They [appeared] to be looking for confectionary and loose change,” said Inspector Pisanos, saying the youths “acted on impulse…. They aren’t career criminals by any means. Hopefully it is just a one-off thing.”
Personally, we’re just interested to know who got the slab of beer!
The Annandale’s owners have yet to comment on the situation, but the foolish robbery is quite the slight against the prominent live music establishment, which has already experienced enough grief this year. With pressure from political interventions trying to introduce new regulations that’ll make Sydney’s cultural scene feel like a police state, to the well-known economic difficulties the venue’s faced in the last year – managing to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat last year with their innovative buy-a-brick scheme.
