Man, 28, desperate for cash burgled two cafés
A BURTON burglar who targeted two cafés in Dorset at the start of the first lockdown managed to elude police for almost a year.
Marius Balan, of Wyllie Mews, was eventually linked to the offences through his DNA following forensic examinations, as well as CCTV footage. The 28-year-old has now been jailed for 40 weeks at Bournemouth Crown Court after admitting two burglaries.
The court heard Balan “became desperate” and showed a “mindset with no respect to others and their rights” when he took cash and property worth more than £2,000 from two cafés in Christchurch in the space of a week.
He broke into The Paddle in Waterford Road, Highcliffe, between Tuesday, March 24, 2020, and Thursday, March 26. A till tray containing cash was stolen, as well as a small safe, several bottles of spirits, a laptop, a camera and two speakers.
A further break-in occurred at The Beach Hut Café at Friars Cliff on the night of March 29 last year when two tills were taken and an attempt was made to remove a coffee machine.
Hannah Hurley, prosecuting, said the owner of The Paddle left the premises secured. She told the court that Balan used mole grips to force entry via a side entrance door. He was identified from DNA left on the grips. Ms Hurley said: “From that burglary, cash worth £750 was stolen, a laptop and camera and two Bluetooth speakers.
“The second incident occurred on March 29. There was a CCTV camera, that was how the defendant was identified. Two tills were taken during that burglary, and he attempted to remove the coffee machine.”
Following inquiries, Balan was arrested in Staffordshire on March 22 this year and made full admissions after DNA evidence from the crime scene at The Paddle was introduced.
The defendant had three previous convictions: importing drugs in his native Romania, a burglary in France and an attempted burglary in Spain.
Nicole Steers, mitigating, said Balan lost his job at a hotel and became desperate for money. She said: “Ordinarily he works and he has continued to work since this incident. Unfortunately, through sheer desperation, he has taken this course of action.”
Ms Steers said he was remorseful and had taken full responsibility for the offending.
Recorder Richard Mawhinney sentenced Balan to 20 weeks for each burglary, to run consecutively, totalling 40 weeks.
He said: “For The Paddle burglary the culpability was high. There must have been a degree of planning, it was at night, and it was not where you lived, you went equipped for a burglary. The Beach Hut Café, culpability was high, the window was damaged.
“To suspend the sentence, is there a realistic prospect of rehabilitation? There may be some, but you felt you had no other option but to burgle because you found yourself homeless.
“That suggests a mindset that has no respect to others and their rights. I don’t consider it appropriate to impose a suspended sentence.”