Pair jailed for bungled bank robbery

Luke Carroll (left) and Anthony Prince

DENVER, Colorado - A New Zealander with Australian residency and his Australian friend have been jailed for bank robbery in the United States.

US District Court Judge Phillip Figa today sentenced Australian Luke Carroll, 19, to five years in prison, while Anthony Prince, also 19, was sentenced to 4-1/2 years. Prince is a New Zealander with permanent Australian residency.

Carroll's mother, Angela, and Prince's parents, Peter and Jenny, all gave emotional speeches before Judge Figa announced his sentence.

Carroll and Prince, who were in the US on a snowboarding holiday, also both addressed the court.

They pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in Vail, Colorado, of US$132,000 ($192,870).

Both were armed with BB guns that appeared to be pistols.

One teller suffered an arm injury during the March 21, 2005, robbery when she was pushed down by Carroll.

The duo was dubbed "Dumb and Dumber" because of the mistakes and clues they left police.

US District Court Judge Phillip Figa heard from Prince's parents and Carroll's mother how the two friends were model lads from Australia.

The last thing any of their family and friends expected was for the pair, who had no prior criminal history, to rob a bank with guns.

Mrs Prince said she was "shocked to the core".

If the sentencing were held in a court in Australia, she said, it would be "overflowing" with her son's supporters.

"I can sincerely say this act is totally out of character," said Prince's father, who described his son as an affectionate kid from a "normal middle-class background".

Prince had travelled from "the fantasy land of youth to the harsh realities of adult life", his father said.

Carroll's mother also spoke at the lectern and begged for her son to be spared jail.

"He knows the meaning of honesty and has no hurtful intentions," she said.

Judge Figa sentenced Carroll to five years jail and Prince to 4-1/2 years.

"I swear I will never pull another stunt like this," Carroll told Judge Figa.

Prince, who has enrolled in a Bachelor of Business course with Australia's Southern Cross University and plans to complete it by correspondence in jail, said "what I did was greedy and selfish but I still don't know why I did it".

Prince spoke about the "dark side", something he had never experienced in his sheltered, safe, upbringing but, apparently, tried to explore by robbing the bank.

"I feel like I have never had to experience this dark side," he said.

When Judge Figa handed down his decision, Ms Carroll braced herself, with her shaking hands, holding a tissue, buried in her face.

Peter Prince looked sadly at the judge. His wife wept.

As Carroll and Prince were handcuffed and led away through a side door, Prince, with a nervous smile, blew a kiss to his parents and his girlfriend of three years, Claire, who had flown over from Australia for the sentencing.

Carroll did not look back.

- AAP