US jewel thief coughs up swallowed evidence

Published: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:21:38

Thief coughs up swallowed ring in front of police

A US man who tried to sell a stolen diamond ring has been caught red-handed after literally coughing up the evidence of his crime in front of police. Cleon Harris of Joplin, Missouri has been charged with possession of stolen property after attempting to swallow a purloined ring which he had been trying to sell to a jewellery store, reports the Joplin Globe. The item in question had been stolen from the car of local woman Rebecca Moore earlier the same day, with jewellers in the area having been briefed on the ring's appearance.

When a store owner recognised the ring Mr Harris was selling to him, he called the police, leading the criminal to swallow it when officers turned up. However, during questioning he began to splutter uncontrollably and eventually coughed out the contraband item. It has since been returned to its rightful owner.

Last month, the Manchester Evening News reported that a man from north-west England was labelled "Britain's dumbest burglar" by police after being caught stealing computers from a police station. What's the silliest thing you've ever done under pressure?

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