Thieves who brazenly stole thousands of pounds’ worth of confectionery in a choc-lifting spree have been banned from supermarkets.
Vasile Leonard Ionescu, 26, of Spring Road, Ipswich and Daniel Florin Mihai, 29, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of theft and ten counts of theft respectively at York Magistrates’ Court.
The pair brazenly walked into supermarkets around the country and stole hundreds of pounds worth of mainly chocolate products.
In total they stole £4,917.99 worth of goods – with the highest amount during any one theft being £670 worth of Lindt, Galaxy and Cadbury chocolate stolen from Sainsbury’s in Malton.
The Romanian nationals also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted theft each.
They were both issued with rehabilitation activities and a two-year criminal behaviour order banning them from entering a Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Co-op store anywhere in the UK.
In addition, Ionescu must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and Mihai must carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
North Yorkshire Police led the investigation following multiple reports of shop theft in late 2025 and early 2026, mainly in the Harrogate area.
‘Firm and decisive action’
However, the investigation also took into account thefts committed in other areas of the country including Kent, Surrey, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and West Yorkshire.
Ionescu and Mihai were arrested by traffic police on 3 March as they travelled along the A1(M) heading towards Dishforth.
The investigator who led the case, Police Staff Investigator Jamie Brownhill, said: “Shoplifting costs our economy millions of pounds and that loss not only impacts on local businesses and local town, the cost passes on to law-abiding members of the public.
“We take shoplifting extremely seriously and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.
“This case demonstrates the value of swift reporting, strong partnership working, and determined investigative work. We encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour or criminal activity to come forward.
“In this case offenders travelled into North Yorkshire specifically to commit crime, and we want to make it absolutely clear that this behaviour will be met with firm and decisive action. Those who come here to target our towns and businesses should expect to be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.”
