Question: When is the front-facing FaceTime camera on an iPhone more trouble than it’s worth? Answer: When you’re a thief who has just stolen an iPhone and, by using it, you’re recording video evidence against yourself.
This is one of the presumably many mistakes made by 21-year-old Kairo Theophilus-Reid. Theophilus-Reid recently appeared in the UK’s Swindon Crown Court, charged with a 2019 mugging of a younger teen’s iPhone 7.
He was arrested alongside fellow mugger Charlie Graham, and was found to have used the iPhone to record video of the pair in a restaurant hours after the incident.
The court heard that the accused pulled up in their vehicle, a Vauxhall Corsa, alongside two teenagers, aged 15 and 16. They then demanded they hand over their possessions and had a brief physical altercation, including threats of more violence. The thieves then escaped with an iPhone and £75 (around $106). Fortunately, the victims were able to remember the license plate of the car, which they later reported.
Police later arrested the thieves as they were driving to London. Kairo Theophilus-Reid was given a year’s imprisonment. However, it was suspended for 18 months, on the basis that he had kept out of trouble since the robbery. His partner is also reportedly expecting twins.
It’s not clear from the report what happened to Charlie Graham. Presumably he is being sentenced separately.
Not the first time this has happened
This isn’t the first time thieves have incriminated themselves using stolen Apple devices. Back in 2015, a pair of thieves were arrested in Houston after taking a celebratory selfie video of themselves flaunting a stolen iPad, laptop, and money they had taken from an unlocked car.
However, they didn’t realize that the video was also automatically uploaded to the rightful owner’s iCloud account. A friend of the victim then posted images of the thieves to Reddit, where they were identified.
This is like the Law & Order version of one of those “Shot on iPhone” memes.
Source: Swindon Advertiser
