A clumsy robber who left his DNA on a bottle of Irn-Bru he drank during a raid was caught by the police. The man had broken into a house in Edinburgh and stole cash, jewellery and electronics.
The raid
The robber, who has not been named, broke into a house in Edinburgh’s New Town on March 17, 2023. He ransacked the property and took £500 in cash, a laptop, a tablet, a camera, a watch and several pieces of jewellery. He also helped himself to a bottle of Irn-Bru from the fridge and drank it while he was in the house.
The homeowner, who was away at the time, returned to find his house burgled and called the police. The officers collected the bottle of Irn-Bru as evidence and sent it for DNA analysis.
The arrest
The DNA from the bottle matched a profile on the national database and led the police to the robber’s address. They arrested him on March 22, 2023 and recovered some of the stolen items from his home. He admitted to the burglary and was charged with theft by housebreaking.
The robber appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on March 23, 2023 and pled guilty. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.
The reaction
The homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was relieved that the robber was caught and thanked the police for their swift action. He said he was shocked by the brazenness of the robber, who had left a trail of evidence behind him.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the bottle of Irn-Bru on the kitchen counter. He must have been thirsty after breaking into my house and stealing my stuff. He didn’t even bother to wipe his fingerprints or his DNA off the bottle. He was very stupid and very careless.”
He added: “I’m glad the police caught him and got some of my things back. I hope he gets a long sentence and learns his lesson. He should know better than to mess with someone’s home and someone’s Irn-Bru.”
