Dublin Criminal Court has heard how a DCU Masters student broke his leg while trying to steal Apple computers from campus to design a computer game to rival Angry Birds.
Upon being discovered by security in December 2012 during the escapade, 25-year-old Femi Adekele jumped out the window of the computer room. His accomplice managed to get away, leaving Adekele in a bush for twelve hours.
The pair had brought bolt cutters and a large knife to sever the cables of the expensive Mac computers. They filled two large shopping bags with computers and keyboards before security found them in the computer lab.
The Court heard how his accomplice returned to the bush with a wheelbarrow the next day to take Adekele away. When security guards spotted Adekele in the wheelbarrow and approached him, the friend abandoned the rescue operation.
Adekele wanted to design a computer game called “angry pigs” to rival the popular Angry Birds game and believed he would make his fortune from the game, the defence counsel told Judge Martin Nolan.
Adekele had not worn any disguise and had documents with his name on them in his bag when he was arrested. He was studying for a Masters qualification in engineering at DCU when he committed the crime. He has not completed the course.
Calling the botched rescue a “comical situation”, Judge Nolan noted Adekele’s good employment record and the fact he had no prior convictions. He imposed a suspended sentence of two years upon him.
Theresa Newman
Image Credit: Annemarie Kelly
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