A serial pickpocket who stole mobile phones from north east London bus passengers has been jailed for a total of 23 months.
Iulian Stelica, 38 (4.06.77) of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, 15 July to 18 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to seven theft offences committed between Saturday, 14 February and Friday, 20 March.
This conviction follows a previous hearing at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 3 July, when Stelica was jailed for 20 weeks for a further five theft offences, committed between Monday, 9 March and Friday, 3 April.
The sentences will be served consecutively.
In all but one offence, Stelica targeted girls and women aged between 13 and 35 years who travelled on buses in Redbridge, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest and Newham, and stole their mobile phones from their pockets.
Officers from the Roads and Transport Policing Command, in partnership with Transport for London, launched an investigation, obtaining CCTV from the buses, which led to Stelica being identified. He was arrested in connection with seven of the thefts on Wednesday, 8 April at Luton Airport, where he was about to catch a flight to his native country Romania. He was charged the following day and pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and remanded in custody to appear at Crown Court on Wednesday, 15 July.
While he was in custody, officers linked Stelica to a further five offences, with which he was charged on Tuesday, 23 June. He appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 3 July and pleaded guilty to five of the offences and sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment.
He then appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, 15 July and changed his plea to guilty for the remaining seven offences, for which he was jailed for 18 months.
Detective Superintendent Adnan Qureshi, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “We are committed to detecting, disrupting and arresting those involved in crime.
“This unscrupulous person consciously carried out these theft offences, robbing his victims of their personal possessions and leaving them in a state of worry and misery.
“I would like to ask the public to help us thwart thieves by ensuring they take personal security precautions by keeping their possessions hidden and close to them and always be aware of their surroundings.”
Steve Burton, TfL’s Director of Enforcement and On-Street Operations, said: “Our MPS Roads and Transport Policing Command colleagues have done an excellent job catching and prosecuting this prolific thief, leading to this successful sentencing. Crime on the bus network has fallen for the ninth year running, and all of our customers have the right to travel without fear of theft. We continue to work hard with our policing partners to rid the network of such criminals and keep bus crime at its lowest level.”