Earlier this year Money Central bought you the 10 most infamous heists. But what about the less successful attempts at robbery? From a pregnant woman in rubber gloves to cousins robbing their family’s post office, there have been many unlikely – and unsuccessful – criminals. Here are Times Money’s top 10 bungled robberies from around the world.
1. “Macclesfield’s dumbest”
England 2008: Mark Ridgeway – a man branded as one of "Macclesfield’s dumbest" burglars by a local police officer – has been the infamous perpetrator of two bungled robberies.
Last year Ridgeway broke into a campsite in Adlington, Lancashire, where his accomplice scribbled his name on the wall for all to see. On that occasion, he was caught by police fleeing while wearing a stolen T-shirt.
The following year, he used a crowbar to break into his mother’s house. But according to the Macclesfield Express: “The brazen burglar paused to steal food and prepare himself a buttie before fleeing with more than £150 cash... leaving incriminating fingerprints everywhere.” Ridgeway later pleaded guilty to the charge of burglary of a dwelling.
2. Bread rolls
Australia 2008: A man and woman in Melbourne were sent to jail earlier this year for the attempted robbery of the Cuckoo restaurant at Olinda - appropriately carried out last April Fool's Day.
Benjamin Jorgensen, 38, stole a bag he thought contained $30,000, but in fact contained only bread rolls. During the hold-up he shot his accomplice, 36-year-old Donna Hayes, in the buttock.
Both pleaded guilty to armed robbery. Victorian County Court Judge Williams told the hearing the robbery was a complete fiasco and the two were a pair of fools.
3. Goodfella wannabes
USA 1992: A mechanic and a security guard from New York decided to rob their local convenience store after being inspired by Goodfellas, the gangster film (pictured above). However, the owner of the store instantly recognised the men, who brandished a BB gun and made off with just $75 before making their getaway in a car belonging to one of the men’s sister. Police waited for the men at their home, where they were arrested after their red Volare drove up containing the $75 loot.
"It wasn't the detective work of the century," acknowledged Detective Kenneth Meyer of the Eighth Precinct.
4. Rubber gloves
USA 2008: Last month a 20-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of robbing Titusville Credit Union. A woman disguised with a baseball cap, rubber gloves and sunglasses went into the union and attempted a robbery – but police soon caught up with her and she was arrested.
Incredibly, witnesses said that the woman was heavily pregnant and had left a toddler in the car while she allegedly committed the crime.
5. Electric shock
China 2006: The robbery of a power supply office in the Jiangsu Province went horribly wrong for two criminals after one of them decided to urinate on a mains switch on his way out, causing burns and electric shock. A duty officer at the office called police, who took the injured man to hospital and the other into custody.
6. Asda stick up
England 2008: Ryan Eddison, 21, was described in court as a "low level criminal who was completely out of his league" after trying to hold up a security van containing £75,000 at an Asda store in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.
In full view of shoppers, the security van driver was able to set off the emergency alarm, which lead to the Eddison and his accomplice fleeing in their stolen getaway car. The vehicle was then torched and abandoned – but the fire went out, leaving the men’s fingerprints in tact. Eddison was sentenced to four years in prison.
7. Keeping it in the family
Scotland 2008: Two cousins who robbed a post office owned by their family were described as “comic” by prosecuters in court. "To rob one's relative's post office in broad daylight in front of numerous witnesses in a small town like Tranent where everyone knew or recognised him almost beggars belief," Simon Collins told the High Court in Edinburgh.
The men had pounced on the post office’s security guard one morning, as he was delivering £20,000 of Sterling and Euro banknotes to the shop. But they did not realise a nearby resident had spotted them donning their balaclavas and had alerted police. The pair were later caught and jailed for a total of seven and a half years.
8. Black wig
USA 2008: At least the perpetrator of this failed robbery attempted to disguise himself. Huy Trong Luong, 39, of Jersey City, donned a black wig, sunglasses, a black Dolce & Golbana hat, women's make-up and a black jacket for a series of bank robberies – seven of which were successful.
He was eventually caught after a bungled attempt to rob a bank in Chatham, when police pulled over his getaway minivan to discover the offending disguise on the backseat.
9. “Hand the muny over”
Scotland 2006: A man who robbed a Glasgow bookmakers with a plastic bottle in a rolled-up newspaper committed a "a particularly ill-thought out" offence, his defending lawyer admitted in court.
Jason Kelly targeted the bookies in an area where he was well known. After handing over a note to the cashier with the words "Hand the muny over. Theel be no trouble," he walked away with £450 before being caught moments later in a nearby street, with the money in his pocket.
10. Drug loot
US 2008: A Californian couple rang the police to report that they had been robbed at gunpoint in their own home. When the police asked what was stolen the pair listed 65 marijuana plants, nearly three kilos of the drug itself and a shotgun. Unsurprisingly, the couple, who had three outstanding warrants, were arrested.
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