Prolific thieves who apparently have a sweet tooth have appeared in court charged with multiple thefts of chocolate.
Vasile Leonard Ionescu, 26, of Spring Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, and Daniel Florin Mihai, 29, of no fixed address, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court today.
They were charged with 13 shop thefts in York, North and West Yorkshire, Cambridge and Suffolk.
Police started investigating after receiving intelligence reports linked to a series of offences.
Ionescu and Mihai were arrested by North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group at 10.30am on Tuesday (3 March) on the A1(M) heading north towards Dishforth.
Almost all the thefts were of chocolate, with a combined worth of £3,478.84.
Chocolate charges
| Where | When | Chocolate value |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op, Woodbridge, Suffolk | 12 February | £300 |
| Co-op, Skipton Road, Harrogate | 25 February | £400 (inc stolen meat) |
| Sainsbury’s Local, Knaresborough | 25 February | £240 |
| Co-op, Starbeck, Harrogate | 25 February | £140 |
| Tesco, Knaresborough | 25 February | £138.60 |
| Sainsbury’s, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate | 25 February | £391 |
| Sainsbury’s, Leeds Road, Harrogate | 25 February | £116.25 |
| Sainsbury’s, Haxby, York | 25 February | £500 |
| Co-op, Station Lane, Harrogate | 26 February | £272.09 |
| Sainsbury’s, Malton | 26 February | £673.90 |
| Tesco Express, Saltaire Road, Shipley | 27 February | £307 |
They were also charged with theft of coffee of unknown value from the Co-op in Fordham, Cambridge, on 19 February; and the attempted theft of chocolate of unknown value at Tesco on Ripon Road, Harrogate, on 1 March.
Both men pleaded guilty and they have been remanded into custody ahead of sentencing at York Magistrates’ Court on 25 March, 10am.
