A tourist who carved his and his girlfriend’s name into the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome now faces up to years of jail time and a hefty fine.
Ivan Dimitrov, 27, who also goes by the name Ivan Hawkins is from Bristol and visited Rome recently with his girlfriend, Hayley Bracey. He was filmed by a fuming American tourist, Ryan Lutz, who later shared the footage on social media.
In the video, Ivan could be seen carving the words ‘Ivan and Hayley 23’ into the brickwork of the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a set of keys. After watching the clip, the authorities were left furious and tracked down Ivan, who works as a fitness instructor in the UK.
“The couple were tracked down by Carabinieri (Italian paramilitary police) on Friday after they were identified through CCTV footage and hotel records,” per Daily Star. “If convicted, 27-year-old Dimitrov could face a fine of up to €15,000 (£12,850) or up to five years in jail.”
According to the statement released by a spokesperson for the Carabinnieri, “Following investigations, subsequent to the complaint presented by the Colosseum Park Authority, the Carabinieri of the Command of Rome Piazza Venezia, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor of Rome, have identified, through traditional investigations and photographic comparison, the person seriously suspected of be responsible for engraving his own name and that of his partner, at the Colosseum, filming the scene, then published on social media.”
“The Carabinieri have ascertained that it is a couple, man and woman, residing in England. It should be noted that the proceeding is in the preliminary investigation phase, therefore the suspect must consider himself innocent until a final sentence is issued.”
The American holidaymaker who recorded Ivan carving his initials along with his girlfriend’s into the brickwork uploaded the video on YouTube with the following caption,
“A*****e tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome 6-23-23.”
The clip has amassed over 300,000 views.
According to Daily Mail, Carabinieri spokesperson, Major Roberto Martina, said Ivan Dimitrov expressed ‘sincere remorse’ for his actions and begged for forgiveness.
“He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it. I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to 15,000 Euro,” said Martina.
He added that Ryan’s footage proof will make the case ‘reasonably straightforward’.
“He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us,” Mr. Martina said. “He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him. We didn’t ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation.”
Ryan Lutz also spoke to the outlet about what he saw when he recorded Dimitrov carving the names on the wall and said,
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw what this jerk was doing to the brickwork. I’m fascinated by history and culture and here was this dumba** defacing it which is a crime and I wanted to do something about it.”
“That’s why I took the video and I showed it to the security guard at the site and I pointed the couple out to them,” he added.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Daily Mail
