Thief jailed after months of pickpocketing
He has been sentenced to 18 months.
A prolific thief has been brought to justice as part of an operation to catch and convict pickpockets and phone thieves around West Midlands Police.
Nicusor Paun pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary and two counts of theft after he targeted students, restaurant goers and shop workers in a month-long crime spree across Birmingham city centre.
On 2 April, the 28-year-old entered Haidilao Hotpot restaurant in the Bullring, stealing three iPads, and snuck into the rear staff rooms where CCTV caught him going through the personal effects of staff who were busy working.
Paun went to the Briar Rose pub on Bennetts Hill on 6 April and distracted a woman to steal her phone.
On 17 April, Paun went into Bills restaurant in the Bullring and sat next to a victim whose phone was in sight next to them. Using a restaurant menu, Paun covered the phone and was able to steal it unseen and leave the restaurant before the victim realised what had happened.
And on 24 April, Paun went to Birmingham City University (BCU) and once inside the student-only area, he went room to room looking for things to steal before he found a laptop in a study area which was briefly unattended. He tucked the laptop under his arm and exited the building.
The victim was left distraught as the laptop contained all of her university work and was left having to re-write everything in order to save her degree.
Paun also targeted two shops in Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter on 4 and 8 May, distracting staff and stealing their phones by reaching over the counter.
He was caught after officers recognised him after receiving a call to say a suspicious man was on the university campus.
Paun of Cotterills Lane, Washwood Heath, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (18 August) to 18 months jail.
PC Matt Evans, from Birmingham Police, said: “Officers all over the West Midlands are working together to target and arrest prolific thieves like Paun who travel all over the country to commit crime.
“This was a great result with security guards, the public, and police all working together as a team to identify a career thief and bring him to justice.
“Paun was a one-man crime wave and it’s good to know he’s now being punished for his callous behaviour.”