- Wojciech G. was charged with burglary and attempted burglary in Warsaw
- He was estimated to have caused around £5,000 in damages during the spree
A crook who posed as a shop window dummy so he could plunder a shopping centre at night has been jailed for 16 months in Poland.
After standing still pretending to be a mannequin, accused Wojciech G. would rob shops in the Westfield Arkadia Mall in Warsaw.
Judges heard how he pocketed jewellery, cash and clothes as he wandered from shop to shop at the Polish complex after customers and staff had gone home.
He was also accused of stopping by the food court to plunder stores for snacks and cash – before returning later for a meal.
The 22-year-old thief admitted charges of burglary and theft in a sentencing hearing at Warsaw District Court, local media reported on Wednesday.
A man poses as a mannequin in Central Europe’s largest shopping centre before robbing it
The man was temporarily arrested for three months and has now been jailed for 16 months
Security footage shows the suspect inside the shopping mall, where he stole clothes and cash
CCTV caught the moment the man maneuvered his way into a another store under a steel curtain and allegedly grabbed some designer clothing
Security CCTV footage from the mall shows Wojciech hopping over a sandwich shop counter to steal food and drink before ducking down as a guard walks past.
Later footage shows him hiding under a tarpaulin over a bar where he had stolen booze and waiters’ tips before he was caught by mall security officers.
One bizarre evidence photo shows Wojciech posing in a shop window display for jeans brand Wrangler’s Barbie Collection from the hit movie.
He was claimed to have stolen several thousand złoty, including employee tips.
Damages ran up to PLN 24,000 (£4,728).
Police reported that an ‘unusual thief’ was operating in Westfield Arkadia and Złote Tarasy.
Robert Szumiata, an inspector on the case, said in October: ‘Just before the closing of the shopping mall, the 22-year-old froze motionless with a handbag in his hand, pretending to be a mannequin in front of a shop window.
‘In this way, he wanted to avoid being exposed by surveillance cameras. After the shopping mall closed, the man robbed the so-called jewelry island.
‘On another day – also after the mall closed – he ate at one of the bars, and then exchanged his clothes for new ones, entering the shop under the steel curtain.
‘When the man got hungry again, he returned to the bar for another meal.’
Judges heard how Wojciech was arrested last October, but when he was released on bail he went straight back to the mall to pose as a dummy again.
CCTV shows the suspect walking up to a stall before someone else rushes in. A security guard reportedly stopped him in his tracks
The suspect is detained by a police officer in Warsaw, undated
The court ruled that the sentence is final and cannot be appealed, reports local media.
The penal code allows for sentences as long as 10 years for such crimes, RP reports.
Four indictments were filed for the spree, and Wojciech was charged with burglary and theft.
Local media reports he did not contest the judgement.
Westfield Arkadia is the largest shopping centre in Central Europe, with some 230 shops and 25 restaurants.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
