/ 22 November 2004

Stinky the video game bandit turns himself in

A Taiwan jewellery shop robber turned himself into police after hiding for a month in an apartment building attic, saying he could no longer stand the smell of his own body odour, a news report said Monday.

Authorities told Taiwan’s United Daily News that Wang Wen-long (28) was unemployed and addicted to playing video games. On October 21, he robbed a jewellery shop in Taoyuan County, stealing two gold rings he intended to sell to get the money to play video games.

To avoid being found, Wang hid in an attic space in his apartment building, surviving on a stock of bread and bottled water, the paper said.

On Sunday, Wang told police he finally decided to give himself up because his body odour was unbearable and he would rather go to jail and have a good bath. ‒ Sapa-DPA