Sister robbers jailed - Luton

25/04/2012

Two sisters on their way home from a night out in Luton were mugged by Romanian street robbers.

Josephine Richardson and Lisa Bithell ended up on the ground in George Street as the men fled with a bag. But, Adrian Strambu, 20, and Florin Mihalache, 19, were seen on the town centre's CCTV in the moments leading up to the robbery and were picked up again near Crawley Green Road.

The police were called and found the men in a underpass. The handbag had been discarded. Strambu had Ms Richardson's iPod in his pocket and Mihalache had her Blackberry phone.

Mihalache was searched and was found to have a small kitchen knife in his pocket, Luton Crown Court heard on Wednesday, 25 April 2012.

For the Crown Prosecution Service, Claudette Elliott said: "It was twenty past two in the morning. The two sisters had come out of a night club and were walking along George Street towards Park Street when they realised they were being followed by two males.

"One defendant came up behind Ms Richardson and grabbed the strap of her bag with both hands. It was with such force that he pulled her along for 10 metres before the strap broke. He took the bag." Ms Richardson suffered bruising to her knees and hand.

An attempt was made to take Ms Bithell's bag and she also ended up on the ground, but the robbers' attempt get her bag failed and they ran off.

Strambu and Mihalache, who were both living  in Bute Street, Luton pleaded guilty to robbery and attempted robbery on 17 February this year. Mihalache also admitted having a knife in Crawley Green Road. Both were of previous good character, but Mihalache told a probation officer he had committed offences involving the theft of scrap metal back in Romania.

Defending Strambu, Carl Woolf said he had come to England in September last year. "It was under the misunderstanding that because Romania is in the EU he believed he was able to work here. When he arrived he learnt that it was not the case. Despite being part of the EU Romanians, like Bulgarians, have to have a work permit," he said.

He said Strambu had not been working, had been living in a night shelter before coming to Luton. "Not being able to work and earn money he felt quite depressed and wanted to go home. He was short of money and fed up. He was just walking around at two in the morning. He did not leave home to rob anyone."

For Mihalache, who had come to the UK in December, Saul Herman said: "He is ashamed of his behaviour and wants to apologise to the two young women.

Judge Michael Baker QC sentenced Strambu to 30 months detention and Mihalache to 33 months. He told them: "You carefully planned and targeted these two young women walking home after a night out. You followed them and used considerable force to wrestle the bag from one of them."

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