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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Dumb and dummies: Italian trio held over shop break-in | Dumb and dummies: Italian trio held over shop break-in |
| (17 days later) | |
| A group of Romans who broke into a designer clothes shop at the weekend have proved themselves to be possibly the world's worst thieves after being caught pretending to be clothes mannequins. | A group of Romans who broke into a designer clothes shop at the weekend have proved themselves to be possibly the world's worst thieves after being caught pretending to be clothes mannequins. |
| The three men – aged 55, 70 and 78 – allegedly broke into the Rome store on Piazza Fiume through a rear window at 4am on Sunday and set about loading designer clothes and bags worth around €100,000 (£81,000) into large sacks. | The three men – aged 55, 70 and 78 – allegedly broke into the Rome store on Piazza Fiume through a rear window at 4am on Sunday and set about loading designer clothes and bags worth around €100,000 (£81,000) into large sacks. |
| According to Italian press reports, the trio are veterans of scores of shop break-ins stretching back decades and are well known to police. They were equipped with a blow torch, crow bar and skeleton keys. | According to Italian press reports, the trio are veterans of scores of shop break-ins stretching back decades and are well known to police. They were equipped with a blow torch, crow bar and skeleton keys. |
| But their noisy entrance to the store woke a neighbour who alerted police. A patrol quickly surrounded the store and entered to find the half filled sacks inside but no thieves. | But their noisy entrance to the store woke a neighbour who alerted police. A patrol quickly surrounded the store and entered to find the half filled sacks inside but no thieves. |
| A careful search turned up the two older suspects – named as Tommaso Bonardi, 78, and Vittorio Laudani, 70 – standing stock still in a display, trying to pass themselves off as shop dummies. Dressed in jacket and tie, the two men were almost elegant enough to pass for the mannequins they stood alongside, but their trembling gave them away to officers who promptly arrested them, a police spokeswoman said. | A careful search turned up the two older suspects – named as Tommaso Bonardi, 78, and Vittorio Laudani, 70 – standing stock still in a display, trying to pass themselves off as shop dummies. Dressed in jacket and tie, the two men were almost elegant enough to pass for the mannequins they stood alongside, but their trembling gave them away to officers who promptly arrested them, a police spokeswoman said. |
| Their alleged accomplice, Luciano Liquori, 55, was apparently found hiding elsewhere in the store. | Their alleged accomplice, Luciano Liquori, 55, was apparently found hiding elsewhere in the store. |
| The arrests are the latest hiccup in a rocky career for the three men. Bonardi and Liquori were arrested 17 years ago while breaking into stores off Piazza di Spagna, while Liquori was caught trying to rob an upmarket butcher near the Pantheon four years ago, reported Corriere della Sera. | The arrests are the latest hiccup in a rocky career for the three men. Bonardi and Liquori were arrested 17 years ago while breaking into stores off Piazza di Spagna, while Liquori was caught trying to rob an upmarket butcher near the Pantheon four years ago, reported Corriere della Sera. |
| "They have extremely long records, but perhaps that is not too surprising given their age," said the spokeswoman. | "They have extremely long records, but perhaps that is not too surprising given their age," said the spokeswoman. |
| Back at the police station Bonardi apparently complained that his diabetes was wreaking havoc – he was promptly taken to hospital before being placed under house arrest. | Back at the police station Bonardi apparently complained that his diabetes was wreaking havoc – he was promptly taken to hospital before being placed under house arrest. |
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