Two highly organised shoplifters who used Bluetooth earpieces to communicate as they snatched thousands of pounds worth of alcohol from Booths stores in three Cumbrian towns within 24 hours have been jailed.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Iulian Bucur, 30, and 27-year-old accomplice Eduard Cristea called at shops in Penrith, Windermere and Ulverston with an unidentified third man.
The trio struck first at the Brunswick Road store in Penrith shortly after 1pm on 12th December, packing alcohol including high value whiskies into bags in a trolley. Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said: “The third unidentified man kept lookout and the three communicated with each other by Bluetooth earpieces.”
Some £900 worth of goods were stolen before the shoplifters headed to Booths in Windermere at around 5.35pm where the same methods of theft were deployed with Cristea distracting staff as £636.50 worth of alcohol was snatched.
The following day Bucur, Cristea and the mystery third man went to Booths’ Ulverston branch, first at around 1.05pm when they stole booze validated at £615.50, before returning minutes later and making off with a further £135 worth of goods.
Bucur and Cristea were later arrested and interviewed, both claiming December was a “long time ago” and that they couldn’t recall what occurred.
When brought to court the pair, both of Warrington Road, Ince-in-Makerfield, near Wigan, each admitted four theft charges.
The court heard neither man was in the UK lawfully. Bucur had previously committed thefts in Belgium and France. And, since the Cumbria incidents, both he and Cristea had since been sentenced in Lancashire for offences committed after December 13.
The men opted to be sentenced today despite not being legally represented by lawyers. Bucur was jailed for eight months for the Cumbria crimes by Recorder Julian Shaw, and Cristea for six months.
“I am quite satisfied on the evidence that this was organised, sophisticated and planned,” said Recorder Shaw.
None of the loot was ever recovered. It had been, concluded Recorder Shaw of the criminality, “stealing alcohol effectively to order”.
