A serial thief who targeted restaurant customers in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire has been caught on CCTV swiping a mobile phone from an unassuming victim.

Nirex Stanescu, 24, was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to nine counts of mobile phone theft at Reading Crown Court on Friday, September 27.

 

Police say she entered restaurants in Bucks, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey and approached people who were eating with their phones on the table.

Stanescu would place a map or other paperwork over the phone before distracting her victims and stealing the devices.

She carried out the nine thefts at various spots across the four counties including Milton Keynes, Reading, Slough and the Thames Valley between April and July of this year.

(Image: SWNS)

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And CCTV footage shows the 24-year-old, who has no fixed abode, duping one unlucky customer at a restaurant in Surrey during that time period.

She was eventually arrested on September 25 and was convicted for the spate of thefts at the hearing last month.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Michael Hanson of the Reading Priority Crime Team said: “Stanescu would use distracting techniques to target her victims, stealing their phones when she employed these tactics.

“I am pleased that she pleaded guilty at the first hearing and has now been sentenced to prison as a result. I hope that her time in prison is used constructively to reflect on her offending behaviour.

(Image: SWNS)

“Although Stanescu used distractive techniques, this case is a timely reminder of the risks involved in leaving property in full view. I would advise people to keep their property close at hand, or out of sight, to prevent opportunists such as Stanescu targeting them.”

And Inspector Chris Thoday from the North Surrey Neighbourhood Policing Investigation Team added: “We worked closely with Thames Valley Police to ensure Stanescu was held accountable for her repeated and targeted offending that stretched across multiple counties.

“By reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses, we identified Stanescu and her tactics for stealing mobile phones. This type of distraction theft is something we’re seeing right across Surrey, so we urge people to stay aware of their surroundings and secure their belongings while out.”