Thief was caught hiding by police after he stole over £400 worth of razor blades

A thief who has only been living in the UK for a month-and-a-half was caught stealing over £400 worth of razor blades from a Boots store.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on September 19 how Romanian Gabriel Cosmin Tuineac, 38, had travelled from Kent to Chesterfield by bus before targeting the chemist shop on Low Pavement, Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Members of staff saw Tuineac with a female placing razor blades into a gift bag and Mr Tuineac was carrying the bag and they left the store together.

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“Staff followed and the two were seen to go into a car park at Rose Hill and police were called and they searched the area and the bag was recovered containing £408.11p worth of items and Tuineac was found hiding and lying in bushes. The female was not found.”

Tuineac admitted the theft and said he had travelled from Kent to Chesterfield on a bus and met a Romanian female in the town and he fled when the alarm sounded because he was scared after the incident on September 18.

Mrs Allsop added that Tuineac has no previous convictions but he was given a caution four days before the offence when he was accused of going equipped for a theft in West Yorkshire.

Tuienac, of Oakview Stud Farm, Dartford, Kent, pleaded guilty to the theft from Boots.

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Defence solicitor Julie Page said Tuineac travelled to Chesterfield to meet a friend but that was not the woman who was involved in the theft and she had been unknown to him and he had been persuaded to get involved in the theft.

Ms Page added that Tuineac has accommodation at a working farm but there is no work for him there at the moment and he is looking for work elsewhere.

She also argued that the crime was not a sophisticated or professional offence.

Magistrates sentenced Tuineac to a 12 month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work, an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.