The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Police look for man dressed as Jesus after theft.
£500 ceramic chef taken from outside of city restaurant
A man dressed as Jesus is wanted by police investigating a stolen statue at a Perth restaurant.
The £500 ceramic chef, named Geovani, was snatched by a mischievous “elf” from outside Crido’s in the city centre on Saturday night.
CCTV footage shows a group of men who appear to be following the son of God, with long hair, beard and flowing white robes.
But they weren’t out for a last supper. A member of the gang, dressed as a Christmas elf, is seen picking up the 80lb statue and dragging it along the street, while Jesus looks on.
And it appears Geovani has suffered a terrible fate. A photograph received by the restaurant owner shows that the chef has been beheaded and his remains discarded on a street in Stonehaven, some 70 miles away.
Restaurant manager Marius Pascalau has appealed for witnesses.
“It happened around 7.30pm when we were really busy,” he said.
“We didn’t see anything at the time, but we were contacted by a member of staff from a restaurant along the street a couple of hours later.
“They said they saw a group of men with the statue. They were apparently dancing around it outside a pub.”
Mr Pascalau said: “The city was really busy on Saturday, so this group must have been seen by a lot of people. They were all in fancy dress so they would have really stood out.”
Geovani’s base, including his shoes, was later found dumped on South Street.
A photo posted on social media shows what appears to be the chef’s torso, left against a fence in Westfield Road, Stonehaven.
It’s not clear what has happened to his head.
Mr Pascalau said: “It’s a real shame. We’ve had him outside the restaurant since the summer and he was a real feature of the street.
“Children loved him and you would often see them having their photo taken next to him.”
A man dressed as an elf was spotted carrying Geovani, without his head, along South Street.
Police Scotland has urged any witnesses to call the 101 hotline or freephone Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111, quoting incident reference 4198.