‘Persuaded by another’: 19-year-old woman stole repeatedly from town shops

A 19-year-old thief targeted retail park businesses as she helped to steal hundreds of pounds worth of products.Rodica Iancu appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Speaking through an interpreter, she pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a shop.Between March 29 and April 3, she traveled to Lynn on three separate occasions with another assailant, where they together targeted businesses on the Hardwick industrial estate.

Iancu stole £133.60 worth of products from B&M first, before returning to pinch a further £373.60 worth of stock.Finally, she stole £35 from nearby Poundland.The products stolen included washing pods, groceries, drinks and confectionery. Iancu, of Burmer Road in Peterborough, who was of previous good character, was ordered to pay £507.20 in compensation for her offences.Her co-accused did not appear in court.Mitigating for Iancu, duty solicitor George Sorrell said: “There is certainly something of a system. I have told the defendant that the court would not be impressed that these people came from Peterborough to Lynn. “It doesn’t look very attractive.”Mr Sorrell added: “She is a lady of previous good character. She lives on her own with her small child, and this was a period in her life when she was relatively short of money. “She was persuaded by another to take part in these enterprises.“The amounts involved are significant, but she is very sorry for what has happened. She came to England four years ago from Romania – she has been out of trouble all that time.“I have warned her that eventually this could lead to a loss of liberty, and she doesn’t want to be one of the first to occupy all of these new prisons that are going to be opened.”