‘Despicable’ deception
Slough: Stoica sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for role in burglaries
A Slough woman has been jailed after telling an elderly couple she had lost her cat before a man stole £30,000 worth of jewellery and watches from their home.
Daniela Stoica, 31, of the Green, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday having pleaded guilty in September to two counts of dwelling burglary.
The charges relate to two incidents, the first of which took place in Eastleigh Road, Havant, on April 26 this year.
The court heard how Stoica, 31, knocked on the door of an address and told the occupants, a man and a woman in their 80s, that she was looking for her cat.
She encouraged the occupants to leave the property and enter the garden in an attempt to help her while a man
entered the house and attempted to steal items from inside.
Nothing was taken.
In the second incident, which occurred in Bagshot, Surrey, on April 28, Stoica again knocked on the door of an address and told the occupants, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, that she had lost her cat.
Again, the occupants attempted to help her look while a man entered the property and on this occasion took jewellery and watches worth more than £30,000.
An investigation was launched and a vehicle linked to Stoica was located and stopped in South Wales on April 29.
She was arrested and later charged with two counts of dwelling burglary and has since been sentenced to fourand-a-half years in prison.
PC Kirsty Watts, of Hampshire Constabulary’s specialist burglary team Operation
Hawk, said: “The crimes committed by Stoica were despicable, she took advantage and abused the trust of kind people who were just trying to help her.
“The impact of having your home burgled should not be underestimated, and I’m really pleased that we have secured this outcome for the victims in this case.
“I hope that this sentence sends a message to those who commit this type of crime that we will take action and investigate all crimes reported to us fully, even if it means us following you across the country to disrupt your offending and prevent more innocent victims.”
PC Kat Sandys, from Surrey Police, added: "Crime has no borders and as this case demonstrates, we will continue to work quickly and effectively with colleagues in other forces to share information, track down offenders, and make arrests."