Two men travelled to Warrington in a car to commit crime before attempting to flee to Ireland on a ferry after being caught out by police.
On October 16 last year, Iulian Vladu had travelled to Warrington with a separate accomplice, Geta Marin, and stole a wallet from a man who was out shopping, a court heard.
Police recovered CCTV footage of the pair and the vehicle that they had been travelling in. A marker was placed on the vehicle and ten days later, officers from West Yorkshire Police arrested Vladu and Marin after stopping the car on the M62.
The pair were arrested and taken to Bradford police station, where they were charged in relation to the theft in Cheshire. The pair were released on bail but later failed to attend court, with warrants issued for their arrest.
Separate crime
On September 25 this year, Cheshire Police said a brazen Vladu then returned again to Warrington town centre. This time he was with a different accomplice, a man called Florin Moga.
While in the town, the pair worked together to distract a man and steal his wallet, a court heard. The wallet contained £400 cash along with a number of bank cards, which the offenders used to withdraw £1,000 from the victim’s account.
Officers used CCTV footage to identify the vehicle that the offenders were travelling in, and a marker was placed on the car. Vladu and Moga were later arrested on October 3 after the vehicle was stopped in Oxford by officers from Thames Valley Police.
The pair were both transported to Warrington where they were charged in relation to relation to the offences. Vladu and Moga appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court October 5, where they were released on conditional bail by the court.
Following their release from court, Vladu and Moga then drove to Holyhead where they attempted to flee the country by catching a ferry to Ireland.
The pair were stopped by officers and later charged with being likely to breach police bail. Both men were subsequently remanded in custody.
Vladu, 48, of Gladstone Road, Northampton, and Moga, 33, of Fowleshill Road, Coventry, pleaded guilty to theft, fraud by false representation and likely to breach police bail. Vladu, also pleaded guilty to a second count of theft in relation to an earlier incident. On December 27, the pair appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court, where they were both sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.
Following their sentencing Police Constable Graham Davies, of Warrington Town Centre Beat team said: “Vladu and Moga purposefully travelled to Warrington in order to commit crime. They thought that by travelling from outside the area they’d be able to get an easy ride and that police wouldn’t be able to track them down.
“However, as this result demonstrates, the pair seriously underestimated the tenacity and dedication of the team here at Warrington to ensure those who commit crime in our town are brought to justice.
“I would particularly like to recognise the work of PC Sam Horton and PC Abbie Delaney, who helped to gather all of the CCTV footage which enabled us to identify Vladu and Moga as the offenders. I’d also like to thank our colleagues at Thames Valley Police and West Yorkshire Police for helping us to catch the pair.
“I hope that the outcome of this case acts as a warning to others who are thinking about coming to Warrington to commit crime. The message is clear – you will be caught, and you will be held accountable.”
Police still searching for Marin
A warrant for the arrest of Geta Marin, 20, from Scunthorpe, remains active.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Geta Marin, 20
(Image: Cheshire Police)
Anyone with any information in relation to her whereabouts is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting 23001015475.