A British vandal who scrawled on the walls of the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome has begged Italy for forgiveness.
Ivan Dimitrov, 27, who lives in Bristol with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33, scribbled both of their names into the ancient stone - but were caught in the act by a furious tourist.
The pair were spending time in the Italian capital during a three-week trip across Europe.
Italy's Carabinieri tracked them down by combing CCTV evidence and hotel records, pinpointing them in Bulgaria on Friday.
Carabinieri spokesman and Major Roberto Martina, revealed that after discussing the incident, Dimitrov - who also goes by Ivan Hawkins - shared his "sincere remorse" for his wanton actions.
Major Martina said; "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."
Dimitrov, a fitness business owner and part time delivery driver originally from Bulgaria, was spotted defacing the ancient landmark last week by enraged Californian Ryan Lutz.
He's scrawled "Ivan and Hayley 23" using a set of keys.
Speaking of their call, Major Martina added: "He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us. 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. The girl is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned although technically, she could be seen as an accessory."
The officer continued, saying that a prosecutor will decide on his fate, but that it's an open and shut case due to the video evidence, the MailOnline reports.
In the clip, an angry Mr Lutz is heard telling the fitness instructor: "Are you serious man ? That is f***ed up man. Stupid a*****e."
After the challenge, Dimitrov turns and grins, apparently pleased with his work, before continuing to scratch their names in.
At the time, a Carabinieri statement read: "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."
