Police left stumped over £10k watch theft... as DNA found at scene belongs to identical twins

 

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:41 PM on 02nd April 2010

 

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Police are unable to solve a crime despite finding blood believed to be from the perpetrator at the scene - because it belongs to one of two twins with identical DNA.

James and John Parr were both arrested after watches worth £10,000 were stolen from a shopping centre.

The only clue at the scene was blood found on a piece of glass which detectives traced to the 25-year-old twins through DNA tests.

 

Baffled: Police are unable to solve the £10,000 theft of watches from Mill Gate shopping centre in Bury, pictured, after DNA found at the scene matched two identical twins

 

But both James and John denied the theft and, because they have the same DNA, it has been impossible to prove if either of them was responsible.

James Parr said: 'The police told us that they knew it was one of us, but we both denied it.

'I definitely know I didn't do anything wrong. I was watching my daughter that night.'

The father-of-one said he was unhappy that he had been arrested because it had jeopardised his job at JD Sports.

He said: 'I had to explain to work that I'd been arrested for thieving. I'm angry about it. It's done my head in.

'I think it's wrong that I had to explain myself to work for nothing.'

His brother John has also claimed he was not responsible for the offence.

The CPS said it had received a file from police relating to a burglary at a jewellers in Bury's Mill Gate shopping centre in November.

Spokesman Rob Pett confirmed DNA tests showed that blood found at the scene belonged to one of the identical twins.

But he said it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt who was responsible.

 

'Unless further evidence becomes available, we are unable to authorise any charge at this time,' he added.

'This is certainly not something that we regularly encounter.'

 

Identical twins do share identical DNA, but have different fingertips according to the Forensic Science Service (FSS).

 

An FSS spokesman added that cases would not normally be brought to court on DNA alone and a jigsaw of other corroborative evidence would be required.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263072/Police-left-stumped-10k-watch-theft--DNA-scene-belongs-identical-twins.html#ixzz0jzTNTHtF

Perfect set up.