BEIJING, October 20 (Xinhuanet)-- A man has been convicted in Australia with the help of a blood sucking leech. Peter Alec Cannon was arrested by Australian Police in Tasmania after they identified his DNA in blood found in a leech found at a crime scene. It is believed to be the first such case that a leech has aided the conviction of a criminal.

    The leech was recovered following a robbery at a 71-year-old woman's home 8 years ago. The 54-year-old and another person, who has not been caught, poked her with sticks and robbed her of 550 Australian dollars (510 U.S. dollars). Blood was taken from the animal and the DNA was placed on a data-base, but it was only recently that Cannon, who pleaded guilty to aggravated armed robbery, was picked up by police.

    He was identified after Cannon was arrested on drug-related offences last year and his blood was found to match that on police files. Pam Scott, from Tasmania's Forensic Science Service, said while other insects are often used to determine timelines at a crime scene, the using leeches is new. "It's a new area really at the crime scene side of things where investigators can be aware of potential evidence that might be worth collecting," she said. "In terms of doing the DNA profiling it's exactly the same technique that we have been doing for a long time on all sorts of items. But it's at that crime scene examination stage and what is collected that might give some new ideas and ways of going forward." Cannon will be sentenced on Friday October 23.

    (Agencies)