22 January 2008: The Keystone Robbers

Silent movie fans will be familiar with the antics of the Keystone Cops, whose incompetent efforts to control crime were considered side-splittingly funny 90 years ago. Now villains in Australia have provided a counterpoint, in a bungled robbery which got them described by their trial judge as the Keystone Robbers.

In their attempt to rob a restaurant in Melbourne, they first snatched a bag containing bread instead of the bag of money. Next they ran off towards the wrong car; and then one of the robbers accidentally shot the other in the leg, putting him in hospital for a month.

The police were able to control their mirth enough to arrest the pair, who have now been convicted of armed robbery.