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Mesmerising? The 'hypnotist' in action CCTV footage Police in Italy have issued footage of a man who is suspected of hypnotising supermarket checkout staff to hand over money from their cash registers. In every case, the last thing staff reportedly remember is the thief leaning over and saying: "Look into my eyes", before finding the till empty. In the latest incident captured on CCTV, he targeted a bank at Ancona in northern Italy, then calmly walked out. A female bank clerk reportedly handed over nearly 800 euros (£630). The cashier who was shown the video footage has no memory...

British Hypnotist Gets 90-Day Prison Term in Connecticut Sex Case The Associated Press Published: Feb 28, 2005 MILFORD, Conn. (AP) - A British hypnotist charged with having sex with patients under his spell and secretly videotaping the encounters was sentenced Monday to 90 days in prison and faces possible deportation to England. Michael Johnstone, 64, had pleaded no contest to reckless endangerment and breach of peace. As part of a plea deal, he received three years in prison with all but 90 days suspended. He will not have to register as a sex offender or attend sex therapy. "We're content...

Bishop bans hypnotist from Catholic schools Fears 'immoral acts' Roseann Danese CanWest News Service Friday, January 16, 2004 WINDSOR, Ont. - A hypnotist scheduled to appear at two Catholic high schools was told to stay away after the bishop of the London, Ont., diocese raised fears the performance could induce "immoral acts." Blair Robertson, an Ottawa-based hypnotist, was set to appear at Cardinal Carter and Villanova high schools in the Windsor area in November, until he heard from the schools' principals cancelling his performance. "It was literally out of their hands," Mr. Robertson said yesterday from his office in Ottawa....

Northwestern University police have reportedly launched an investigation and increased patrols after several students reported they were hypnotized by an unidentified man in the university library. At least one of those students has claimed she was sexually assaulted. Sarah Bush, a junior at the university, wrote in a guest column for the Daily Northwestern that a man at the library asked her to take part in "a psychology study" that involved some relaxation techniques. Bush wrote she later awakened from a hypnotic state and realized the man was asking her to lie down on the floor. Bush said she doesn't...

Texans Chip in to Rescue Stranded Chicken-Hypnotist Texans Chip in to Rescue Stranded Chicken-HypnotistFri Jun 28, 9:19 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - The plight of an Alaskan chicken-hypnotist whose circus tour was cut short in Edinburgh when a charity shop sold her bicycle by mistake has tweaked heartstrings as far afield as Austin, Texas. Emily Harris left the 1,200-pound ($1,800) bicycle inside the shop this week and found it was missing after she came out of a fitting room. A shop assistant had sold it for 10 pounds. Now a group of Austin engineers, who read about her loss on...