Gary the Gorilla is a beloved statue who lives at a retirement village in Melbourne, Australia. Residents there have been distraught since some hooligan ape-napped Gary back in June. Fortunately, Gary has been located safe and sound. Police in helicopters spotted the gorilla in the culprit's backyard.
"LOL I stole a gorilla, so what?" read a text message on 33-year-old Matthew Newbould's phone, according to the police report.
Newbould was also driving on a suspended license at the time and the judge wasn't in a lenient mood.
Newbold told the court it was a "very silly" mistake but according to The Guardian, magistrate Michael Wighton responded "that the combination of the theft and unlicensed driving made the offending more serious."
The judge is allowing Newbold to stay out on bail while also ordering him to a community corrections order assessment to help determine his sentence.
Previously:
• Grand Theft Lego: 71-year-old man and 39-year-old woman arrested in raid that recovered 2,800 stolen sets
• A carpenter used Apple AirTags to find his stolen tools — along with 15,000 others (video)
• Mountain of stolen bikes in man's backyard visible on Google Earth satellite image
