Barrie Police have arrested a couple after they crashed a private Christmas party, helped themselves to some drinks and then bragged about it on Twitter.
The incident happened on Tuesday December 6, 2014 at Donaleighs Irish Pub in downtown Barrie. Don Kellett, the bar’s owner, said the two snuck into the bar shortly after a private party had ended.
“There was no one down here and they snuck down,” says Kellet.
The bar’s security camera captured the couple chugging wine, pouring shots and even taking selfies behind the bar while helping themselves to alcohol.
They then put five to seven bottles of booze in their coats and went to the back patio where they were confronted by the bar’s general manager.
“He took the booze off the gentleman and they ran out of the side door,” added Kellet.
They did make off with some liquor and then they bragged about their heist on Twitter just a few hours later – even posting selfies they took from behind the bar.
Donaleighs saw the tweets, matched it with surveillance video and reported it to police.
“We didn’t even know their names until they tweeted so we were able to put names to faces. The fact they put pictures of themselves actually stealing the booze on Twitter was pretty much a confession,” says Kellet.
Because of those Twitter posts, police were able to identify the couple. They are now facing a charge of theft under $5,000. Police have tracked down and arrested the man; they are waiting on the woman who is currently out of town.
“They pretty much identified themselves on social media through their Twitter handle, some hash tags and pretty much stating they were at Donaleighs drinking,” said Barrie Police Constable Melanie Turner.
Kellet says it’s not unusual for people to try and steal alcohol from his bar but he’s never seen a case like this one before.
“On America’s dumbest criminals I’ve seen different things like this but this a first certainly for Donaleighs.”
Police say the woman will be returning to Barrie on Christmas Eve and have made arrangements to arrest and charge her then. The couple will appear in court in January.