A “professional shoplifter” stole over £27,000 worth of alcohol from various Asda and Tesco stores across the UK, a court heard.
Cristian Miron, Robert Cristea and Albert Mihai, all appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. Miron previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of theft, amounting to £27,662 stolen between October 2021 and December 2022 from supermarkets across the country.
Mihai, 35, and Cristea, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of theft which took place on December 10, 2022, at Asda in Sefton. Eric Lamb, prosecuting, detailed that all thefts were carried out in a similar manner, namely a group of people, of which Miron played a leading role, entered supermarkets and stole thousands of pounds worth of alcohol.
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Miron, 25, was later identified and linked to the offences using CCTV footage. Mr Lamb said: “The offences took place in various parts of the country using the same methods.
“A group entered the supermarket with a trolley, filled it with boxes of alcohol, and while the accomplices distracted the staff, the trolley was brought out to a waiting car.” He detailed that Miron’s first offence took place on October 20, 2021, at Tesco in Poole, where £5,000 worth of alcohol was stolen.
On November 11, in Asda in Northwich Miron and unknown accomplices took £2494 worth of alcohol, and in Tesco, Folkestone, £6480 worth was taken. In the same store on February 28, 2022, £7,700 worth of spirits were taken, and on April 10, in Tesco in Brackley, £420 worth, after which he was arrested.
Despite being released under investigation, Miron continued to offend, and on April 29, in Asda in Northwich, took alcohol worth £2146. Finally, at Asda in Sefton, on December 10, 2022, all three defendants entered the store and stole almost £3,000 worth of alcohol using the same method.
They re-visited the same Asda two days later, and were arrested. Miron has three previous offences for similar offences of theft in the UK, and one in Romania.
Mihai has ten previous convictions for 15 offences, most of which are shoplifting offences. Cristea has no previous convictions.
All three men have been in custody since December after their arrest following their final offence in Merseyside. Dhaneshwar Sharma, defending the three men, detailed the various roles his clients played and said all of them committed the thefts for financial gain.
He said: “Regarding Mr Miron, unfortunately he is a professional shoplifter and he accepts that. He travelled to different areas around the country to commit these offences.
“His motivation is related to poor lifestyle choices and forward thinking, and difficulties managing money.” Mr Sharma detailed that in 2017, Miron was convicted of robbery and several other similar offences, but that he is remorseful for his crimes.
He added: “He has no struggles with alcohol or drugs, his motivation was financial gain. “However that is no excuse, as of course there are many who struggle financially who do not commit offences, he has made poor choices.”
Mr Sharma detailed the defendant lost his job in construction and “fell back into his old habits”. He also detailed that Miron’s time in custody has been a “solitary experience for him”, and has had a significant impact on his wife and young child.
Regarding Mihai, Mr Sharma said he also lost his job, and was in the area of Sefton to borrow money from a friend. He said: “Mr Mihai tried to borrow money from somebody but was unable to find the man to lend him the money, and that resulted in him committing the offence.”
Mr Sharma said Mihai also has a wife and two young children whom he helps to support, and has no dependency on alcohol or drugs. Thirdly, he explained that Cristea was arguably in the best position of the three defendants, as he has no previous convictions.
He said the 35-year-old was isolated in the UK as he “could only connect with the other two defendants”, and “came to the UK for a better life”. Mr Sharma said Cristea regrets his behaviour, has shown an insight into his offending, and understands it is not behaviour he should repeat in the future.
In sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC, said: “A team of three people entered a supermarket. One loaded a trolley with hundreds of bottles of spirits and others distracted the staff.
“The trolley was then wheeled out and the goods were transferred to a waiting car. On the last occasion, when all three of you were involved, one of you was removing security tags from the bottles of spirits to avoid detection from the alarms.”
“Mr Miron, you played a leading role in the group activity on each occasion when you stole from the supermarkets.” He said on several occasions, Miron made efforts to hide his identity using facemasks or changing his jacket.
Recorder Knifton added that Miron’s previous offending ranged from 2019 to October 2021, and “continued his offending campaign” by committing these thefts. Addressing Mihai, Recorder Knifton said: “Having come here to create a better life, it seems that your idea of creating a better life in the UK includes stealing for your own financial gain.”
He detailed that the 35-year-old has been deported from the UK several times, but returned to be with his family each time. He said the offence on December 10 was “part of an established pattern of such behaviour”.
Regarding Cristea, Recorder Knifton detailed that he has only been in the UK since September 2022, and also moved to “create a better life” for himself. He said: “Your offending was with the intention of sending the money to relatives in Romania, including your wife and two young children.”
Miron, of Ashton Road, Oldham, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. Mihai, of Joan Road, Dagenham, was handed a six month prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work plus 20 rehabilitation days.
Cristea, of Eccles New Road, Salford was given a community order for 28 months, and must undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and complete 15 rehabilitation days.
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