What if folks monitoring crooks are dumber than a hoe handle?

Ankle monitor on real leg

Private security firm G4S has sacked two members of staff who tagged a man’s false leg, allowing him to remove it and flout a court-imposed curfew.

Christopher Lowcock…fooled the two employees by wrapping a prosthetic leg in a bandage when they set up the tag at his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. He was then able to remove the limb and break a curfew imposed for offences involving drugs, driving and a weapon. G4S sacked the pair for committing a serious disciplinary offence, it said…

G4S revealed managers became suspicious last month but when they returned to Lowcock’s home he had been returned to custody accused of a driving-related offence. The company revealed the second employee who went to check on the monitoring equipment at Lowcock’s home was also sacked for failing to realise he had fooled them into tagging his false leg…

The two staff involved had committed a serious disciplinary offence by failing to follow procedure and had been dismissed…

The MoJ said contractors were expected to adhere to “the highest standards of professionalism” and strict guidelines had to be followed when tagging offenders.

These clowns would certainly qualify for the same jobs – and pay grade – here in northern New Mexico. Cripes, they’d probably be acceptable to local politicians to campaign for office as judge.

New Mexico man set on fire after losing drinking bet – UPDATED

Here in New Mexico, we have several cultural specialties. One is driving while drunk. We have folks here who will consume enough booze to be incapable of walking. Which is why they drive instead.

Another is stupid crimes. Admittedly, smart is not a quality required of someone choosing to rob a bank or a convenience store.

But, the number of incredible decisions arrived at by New Mexico boozers must set the standard for world-class drunks. For example –

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A 47-year-old man’s friends set his prosthetic leg on fire after he lost a drinking bet, causing him to suffer severe burns to his buttocks and lower back.

Dona Ana County sheriff’s deputies found the man naked on the side of U.S. Route 70 with his prosthetic leg in flames. Deputies learned that the man and his friends were drinking…and bet that whoever drank the least would be set on fire.

The man told investigators that at six beers, he drank the least, and agreed to let his friends set him on fire.

He said his friends ignited his prosthetic leg, and the flames spread to his body.

The sheriff’s office said the man took his clothes off because of the pain and his friends decided to take him to the hospital. But they got nervous and instead dropped him off on the side of the highway.

UPDATE: Police are now looking for the “victim”. Turns out he set himself on fire – with his crack pipe!


Or you can spend the weekend staring at a 42-foot long Roadrunner