Criminally stupid

A coda to last week's post in which I suggested Jack Straw's typically authoritarian approach to problems in society - slap a law on it - was pointless in the case of those idiots who choose to advertise their crimes on YouTube.

Mr Straw had argued: "This is a really serious issue about how these kind of videos should better be controlled." I suggested: "if a criminal offence has been committed, surely it having been caught on camera and broadcast is more likely to lead to the capture of the culprits of any offence committed?"

I spotted this story in yesterday's Soaraway Sun:

A YOB who stole spectacles from a charity worker was arrested after his mates posted footage of the theft on the net.

The 20–second phone video clip showed a grinning lout approaching the street collector then snatching his glasses and running away, to the cheers of his laughing friends.

It was titled “Wild specs robbery” with the caption: “P***ed up bald lad steals randomers specs in street! Absolutely WILD!!!”

Police were tipped off about the video, on the YouTube website, and arrested an 18-year-old youth yesterday. ...

A police source said: “The lads involved obviously were not the brightest blokes around.

“Most criminals try to protect their identity rather than putting video of their lawbreaking on the web.”

Quite.