Suspect who stole camera from church left item of clothing with his name at the scene

A suspected thief who stole a camera from a church is believed to have left a vital clue behind - a cap with his name written inside it! 

The camera for live-streaming services was stolen recently from St Ann's Church in Dublin's city-centre. 

Paul Arbuthnot, Vicar of St Ann’s on Dawson Street and Canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin appealed for the return of the camera on social media. 

"To the person who stole the live stream camera from St Ann’s, Dawson Street during Choral Mattins today, you left your baseball cap behind. If you’d like it back, come and see me. By the way, you’re forgiven. Just bring the camera back and all shall be well," he said. 

He outlined that nobody was hurt, which he said was the main thing. 

However, he added that some of the Church Wardens were upset by the incident. 

When a person queried if the suspected thief had left something with their name on it, Vicar Arbuthnot replied: "You’re going to laugh at this, but there actually is a name written on the inside of the cap". 

So sorry, Paul. I often have a look at the services on YouTube after they’ve been streamed, and wondered why the screen went black this Sunday.

— Jack (@jackmccormick03) October 2, 2023

The Vicar was praised for his Christian and forgiving response to the crime.