Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Nervous thief left DNA in vomit

A nervous Australian thief who threw up before fleeing the scene of a hold-up last year has been jailed after police matched his DNA with vomit left at the crime scene.

Ahmed Habib Jalloul, 20, was found guilty of aggravated robbery in the District Court earlier this month for his involvement in the robbery of the Kensington Gardens post office in April 2007.

The court heard that Jalloul had vomited "out of fear" outside the post office, in a nearby car park after the robbery, before fleeing in a stolen car with two accomplices and $3700 in cash.

A later DNA analysis of the vomit slick matched Jalluol's DNA. An eye-witness also placed him at the scene.

Norwood Officer in Charge Col Phillips said being convicted by a vomit DNA sample was "very unusual".

"These days we use hair, blood, cigarette butts, spit, semen, everything to place someone at a crime scene," he said. "The database (of DNA samples) is getting bigger and bigger, which makes it a lot easier too."

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