- Wojciech G. was charged with robbery and attempted robbery in Warsaw
- It is estimated that he caused around £5,000 worth of damage during the wave of violence.
A criminal who posed as a shop window dummy to loot a shopping centre at night has been sentenced to 16 months in prison in Poland.
By standing motionless and posing as a mannequin, the accused Wojciech G. committed a shoplifting in the Westfield Arkadia shopping centre in Warsaw.
Judges heard how he pocketed jewellery, cash and clothes as he wandered from shop to shop in the Polish complex after customers and staff had gone home.
He was also accused of stopping by the food court to loot stores for snacks and cash, before returning later to eat.
The 22-year-old thief admitted charges of robbery and theft at a sentencing hearing at the Warsaw District Court, local media reported on Wednesday.
Man poses as mannequin in Central Europe’s largest shopping centre before robbing it
The man was temporarily detained for three months and has now been jailed for 16 months.
Security footage shows the suspect inside the mall, where he stole clothing and cash.
Security cameras captured the moment the man forced his way into another store under a steel curtain and allegedly grabbed some designer clothing.
CCTV footage from the mall shows Wojciech jumping over the counter of a sandwich shop to steal food and drinks before crouching down as a guard walks past.
Later footage shows him hiding under a tarp above a bar where he had stolen alcohol and tips from waiters before being caught by mall security officers.
A rare photograph shows Wojciech posing in the window of a store selling the Barbie collection from the hit movie by the Wrangler jeans brand.
He was reclaimed having stolen several thousand zlotys, including tips from employees.
The damage amounted to PLN 24,000 (£4,728).
Police say an “unusual thief” was operating at Westfield Arkadia and Złote Tarasy.
Robert Szumiata, the detective in charge of the case, said in October: ‘Just before the mall closed, the 22-year-old stood motionless with a bag in his hand, pretending to be a mannequin in front of a shop window.
‘This way, he wanted to avoid being discovered by surveillance cameras. After the mall closed, the man stole from the so-called Jewellery Island.
‘Another day, also after the mall closed, he ate at one of the bars and then changed his clothes for new ones, entering the store under the steel curtain.
“When the man got hungry again, he returned to the bar to eat again.”
Judges heard how Wojciech was arrested last October but when he was released on bail he went straight back to the shopping centre to impersonate a doll again.
CCTV shows the suspect walking towards a stall before someone else runs in. A security guard stops him in his tracks.
The suspect was arrested by a police officer in Warsaw, undated
The court ruled that the sentence is final and cannot be appealed, local media reported.
The penal code allows sentences of up to 10 years for such crimes, RP information.
Four charges were brought in this case and Wojciech was accused of robbery and theft.
Local media reported that he did not contest the sentence.
Westfield Arkadia is the largest shopping centre in Central Europe, with around 230 stores and 25 restaurants.