07 December 2023 , 15:24
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A thief and his girlfriend stole more than £30,000 worth of goods from Tesco during a huge spree that spread across 11 counties in England over the course of several months.
Marian Oprescu, 27, stole almost £10,000 in products in just one day as he ransacked a store in Northallerton, North Yorkshire and two others in Stockton-on-Tees on July 24. He also stole £7,000 worth of printer ink at a Tesco store in Northumbria on March 20.
His partner Alexandra Radu, 24, joined him on a number of different occasions as they targeted booze, laundry detergent and printer ink between February and August this year. The couple, who removed security tags from goods before walking out without paying, were caught following an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police, after a string of thefts at a Tesco Extra in Mansfield.
Marian Oprescu was sentenced two years and three months in jail (Nottinghamshire Police / SWNS)Oprescu and Radu were finally caught when police tracked them down to their home in Scunthorpe on September 6. Officers searched the property and found a huge haul of stolen items. Oprescu admitted 27 shop thefts worth approximately £25,000, when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court. Meanwhile Radu, 24, pleaded guilty to seven shop thefts worth around £6,000. Oprescu was jailed for two years and three months, while Radu’s sentencing was deferred for six months.
A huge stash of makeup was amongst the stolen goods found by police (Nottinghamshire Police / SWNS)Sergeant Louise Ellis, of the Nottingham City Priority Crime Team, said: “This was an intelligence-led investigation that involved more than 200 hours of work from ourselves and Tesco, who played a key role in gathering the evidence needed to put Oprescu and Radu before the courts.
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“Together they caused significant harm to stores across the country and we are pleased to see them face the consequences of their persistent offending. Retail crime has been high on the public agenda and Nottinghamshire Police are leading the way in tackling the problem by working in partnership with large retailers. By working together and streamlining processes, we are able to bring offenders to justice quicker and easier than ever before. We will continue working closely with partners in the retail sector to prevent business crime.”