A tuk-tuk driver, who stole £24,000 worth of wine, has been sentenced to 20 months in custody suspended for two years.
Iuliu Kubola, 61, of Richie Street, Islington, broke into a restaurant on Threadneedle Street on Friday 6 May 2025, stole 73 bottles of wine before loading it onto his pedicab and cycling away.
He was arrested on 22 June at around 12:30am, when an officer recognised the 61-year-old as a person of interest following a police briefing.
Police constable Jordan Felstead approached Kubola who was stopped outside a bar on Cornhill.
After making further enquiries with the Criminal Investigation Department, it was discovered that Kunola was a suspect connected to a spate of burglaries.
Kubola was seen on CCTV taking the bottles of wine, putting them into wheelie bin and loading the bin into the back of his pedicab.
On Sunday 15 June, Kubola returned to the same eatery to steal a further three bottles of wine worth around £680. He went back again on Thursday 19 June, but left without taking anything.
City of London Police are one of the few forces where scenes of crimes officers go to every incident where forensics can be recovered and do not screen out ‘low level’ crime.
Detective Constable Marcus Fairclough, in the Criminal Investigation Department of the City of London Police, said:
“Thanks to the good work by our officers, who spotted him and quickly made enquiries and the arrest, Iuliu Kubola will face the consequences of his criminality.
“Burglary has a significant impact on businesses and residential communities.
“We will attend all reports of break-ins in the City; giving us the best chance of making an arrest and collecting evidence from a scene.
“We will always take this type of criminality seriously and thoroughly investigate all evidential leads, including forensics, to bring those perpetrators to justice.”
Kubola also caused damage to the external door and locks, costing £1,000 to change locks and £425 to repair the damage.
Physical Forensics Manager Andrew Walker, of the City of London Police, said:
“Our fast response is vital to maximise forensic opportunities and lessen the impact on the victims.
“Being burgled is horrendous; not being able to tidy up or open your business and resume trading exacerbates this massively.
“The victim is at the heart of everything we do. Delivering them justice, whilst minimising the impact that crime has on them, is the bedrock on which City of London Police Forensic Services operates.”
