Gotcha! The selfie that snared ketchup thief
THIS is the ‘selfie’ that helped snare a ‘ketchup’ thief who repeatedly targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. A court heard that the quick-thinking actions of former Hyndburn Mayor Paul Barton helped police to arrest Titus Jelea following a series of thefts from the elderly.
Mr Barton spotted Jelea swiping cash from one of his victims at this year’s Accrington Food Festival then made the defendant pose with him for a picture on the town hall balcony, Preston Crown Court heard. One trick used by Jelea was to squirt ketchup on his elderly victims and then take their cash as he help to clean it off. ● FULL story on page five
THIS is the ‘selfie’ that helped snare a ‘ketchup’ thief who repeatedly targeted elderly and vulnerable victims.
Titus Jelea, from Accrington, was arrested by police after a series of incidents and helped by the ‘clever and quick-thinking’ actions of former Hyndburn Mayor Paul Barton.
Mr Barton spotted Jelea swiping cash from one of his victims at this year’s Accrington Food Festival before making the defendant pose with him for a picture on the town hall balcony, Preston Crown Court heard.
Hyndburn Neighbourhood Police officers were able to use the picture to identify Jelea who had previously poured ketchup on one victim in a distraction theft at Accrington bus station before swiping a bank book. In other incidents he followed vulnerable women around a supermarket and home from a bank.
Jelea, of Willows Lane, Accrington, pleaded guilty to eight counts of theft and was jailed for 130 weeks.
Prosecutor Daniel Prowse said: “These were a series of planned offences committed over a period of time. Victims were deliberately targeted due to their vulnerability or being retired.”
The court heard how Jelea stole £250 cash and a silver chain from Accrington Market Hall stallholder Mary Johnstone on May 13.
The incident happened while she was serving a customer a day before the Accrington bus station incident.
Mr Prowse said in the later theft Jelea pointed out the mess on his victim’s body warmer and offered him wet wipes before swiping a bank book from his bag on the floor.
Mr Prowse said: “This came to the attention of police who had been alerted to spate of thefts in the area in which the offender or offenders appeared to be using tomato ketchup to simulate bleeding and using that for distraction thefts.”
The court was told that Jelea has only been charged and convicted of one of these incidents.
Jelea then travelled to Cafe Northcote at Blackburn Cathedral on May 20 and tried to steal cash from a retired woman. When he failed he then approached another customer and asked her for some sugar before swiping £60 cash from her bag.
The incidents were reported to cafe staff and when defendant returned to the premises on June 2 he was identified and arrested by police.
Mr Prowse said Jelea admitted the offences at Blackburn central police station and was bailed to appear at court.
However, within three hours he had returned to Accrington and stole more cash from two sisters attending the town’s annual Food Festival.
The court heard that the women were on the balcony level of the Town Hall and Jelea stole a total of £70.
Mr Prowse said one of the thefts was witnessed by Mr Barton who was at the event.
He told the court: “Cleverly and very helpfully he walked up to the defendant and asked him for a selfie picture so he could obtain evidence of the man he was suspicious of. The defendant eventually and reluctantly agreed to have a picture before walking off.
“Because of Mr Barton’s quick-thinking neighbourhood police officers were able to look at the selfie picture and identify the defendant.”
Jelea then targeted a 92-year-old woman who was shopping with her daughter at the Accrington Asda store. The court heard that Jelea saw her withdraw £100 from an ATM machine outside and then followed her around the supermarket for ‘several minutes’.
When the victim was being served by the cashier he was captured on CCTV stealing the cash.
Jelea’s final theft was against an elderly woman who had withdrawn £500 from the Lloyds bank in Accrington.
Mr Prowse said Jelea was standing in the queue and spotted the woman before following her home.
When he got to her front door he said ‘Where can I get a cup of tea?’.
The court heard that Jelea had his hand inside her bag and said ‘let me open the door’.
Mr Prowse said the victim was ‘fearful of what might happen’ and in a panic shouted the name of her husband before Jelea walked off. Police arrested Jelea at his partner’s address on Barnes Street in Church and seized £75 from him and another £400 from his partner.