Police have issued an urgent warning to gym-goers after crooks spotted an easy way to access lockers and steal thousands of pounds. Speaking after thief, Declan Murphy, was jailed for more than two years, they said they were seeing “prolific criminals” targeting lockers at health and fitness facilities.
After watching to see the code being imputed they then use it to get into the locker. And with many people using the same code number as they use for banks and their phone they can then access bank accounts and fleece them of money.
City of London Police issued the warning urging people to use different codes for their locker, bank cards and devices. Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ives said: “People who visit gyms expect their belongings to be safe in their lockers and don’t tend to expect anyone to be looking over their shoulder and stealing their Pin.
“Unfortunately, we know this is a method is used by prolific criminals like Murphy. Our message is clear, do not have the same Pin code for your locker as your phone or bank card Pins.”
Chief Insp Ives was speaking as Murphy, 35, was sentenced after being convicted of a string of offences. Isleworth Crown Court was told how the prolific thief targeted luxury health clubs.
City of London Police told the hearing how in September 2024, the qualified carpenter watched as a man put his four-digit code into his locker at a Third Space luxury health club in the City of London. He then broke into the locker, and correctly guessed that the code would be the same as the man’s phone and bank card Pins.
His victim later discovered Murphy had phoned the bank pretending to be him, and was given internet access to the bank accounts. Murphy then drenched his victim’s phone in water to damage it, stopping the man from accessing his banking app.
The man noticed a missed call from his bank, but struggled to return the call because of the state of his phone. Murphy withdrew £500 from a cash machine, and later the same day, unsuccessfully tried to buy £5,400 worth of items from an Apple store.
The court heard how the victim had only joined the gym after his wife died from cancer. It was told the theft increased the “sense of loneliness” of the grieving man.
Murphy was found to be using membership cards under false names to repeatedly access Third Space and Nuffield Health gyms, a court heard. On Friday, Murphy, of Bromley, was jailed for two years and three months having admitted three counts of theft and 11 counts of fraud by false representation.
Sentencing the father-of-two, His Honour Judge Edward Connell described his offending as “pre-planned” and “well practised”. Murphy is £15,000 in debt, and stole the cards to try and pay off what he owes, the sentencing hearing was told.
“It seems your motivation has been financial having accumulated significant debts,” the judge said. Murphy also withdrew £1,750 of cash using three different bank cards stolen from a different gym, and used a separate stolen card to try and withdraw £600 in cash.
The victims who lost money were eventually compensated by their banks, the court heard. As well as the jail term, Murphy was handed a criminal behaviour order banning him from visiting any Third Space or Nuffield Health gyms for six years.