Vacation selfies of a British woman ‘dripping in diamonds' lead to her arrest for jewelry theft, police say
A former jewelry store manager in the United Kingdom was sentenced to 28 months in prison after posting selfies wearing stolen merchandise and sending them to her coworkers, Humberside Police said in a statement.
Lucy Roberts, 39, frequently took jewelry home with her during the year she worked at a high-end shop, police said, telling suspicious coworkers she 'was conducting work at home and sorting stock for the workshop.' The police statement does not name the store.
It was only when Roberts quit and went on vacation that her colleagues realized where the jewelry went, the statement says. She began sending her former coworkers selfies from a cruise, decked out in items taken from the shop.
'Without a care in the world, dripping in diamonds, thinking she had deceived everybody,' Detective Sgt. Krista Wilkinson said in the police news release.
Police found 'thousands of pounds worth of jewelry strewn around in boxes beneath the bed and in cupboards,' after searching her home, the statement says.
In total, Roberts stole more than $170,000 in diamonds, gold, silver, 'bespoke jewelry' and cash from her employer, according to Wilkinson.
CNN was not able to determine whether Roberts has legal representation.
Police said Roberts initially denied she had stolen any stock from her employer, insisting she had borrowed the some of the jewelry from a coworker and that they planted the other items in her bags, but she later entered a guilty plea for theft by an employee, receiving 28 months in prison.
Roberts was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport, according to police. They took her into custody after finding her 'wearing a substantial amount of stolen jewelry' with more pilfered merchandise in her suitcase, according to the statement.
Body camera footage from the arrest shows Roberts removing more jewelry 'as she was escorted through Heathrow Airport … in an attempt to dispose of it,' police added.
The store where Roberts formerly worked said it is 'pleased to finally have closure on the matter after several years,' according to the news release.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Manchester council rakes in over £440k from just SIX junctions in a year
Manchester council raked in more than £440,000 worth of fines from just SIX junctions last year, in a crackdown on offences in 'high-risk' yellow box areas. According to new figures released by the RAC following an FOI request, the authority dished out 13,130 penalties in 2024, more than anywhere else in the UK. The equivalent of 36 fines a day, this brought in £446,706. That figure accounts for nearly half of all yellow box-related revenue outside London and Cardiff. READ MORE: 15 years ago he made a prediction about Manchester that proved correct - now he has made another READ MORE: Teenager disappears after boarding flight at Manchester Airport In 2023, councils received additional powers from the government to enforce rules relating to 'moving traffic offences', most notably including box junctions. The RAC has previously issued warnings that the disproportionate number of fines issued by a small number of councils, including Manchester council, could suggest there are problems with the design or location of the boxes. Offences enforced by the fines include ignoring yellow box markings, making a right or left turn when prohibited, or driving the wrong way down a one-way street. The fines are enforced with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which allow the council to issue the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Drivers are fined £70 for a contravention, which is reduced to £35 if the sum is paid within 21 days of it being issued. Manchester council told the Manchester Evening News restrictions which could only be enforced by the police were take on by the authority following a consultation in 2022. It added that it was 'pleased to see that the majority of motorists using these junctions obey the rules of the road and help prevent unnecessary gridlock'. Kirkmanshulme Lane at its junction with Mount Road, close to Belle Vue train station, made the most money. The six junctions in Greater Manchester at the centre of the fines are understood to be: Cheetham Hill Road / Elizabeth Street – No right turn Ashton Old Road / Chancellor Lane / Fairfield Street – Yellow box Princess Parkway / Palatine Road – Yellow box Great Ancoats Street / Oldham Road / Oldham Street – Yellow box Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road – Compulsory left turn / Yellow box Wilmslow Road / M56 junction 6 – Ahead Only Manchester council accounted for 49 per cent, just under half, of all the revenue from yellow box fines outside London and Cardiff. During the same period, Reading Borough Council, which has eight junctions it can enforce compared to Manchester City Council's six, issued 1,638 fines. Meanwhile Gloucester County Council raised just £945 from 30 fines on their single yellow box over the same period - less than a single day's fines for Manchester council. Manchester council was also well ahead of the second highest authority, issuing nearly three times as many fines as the 4,433 by Medway council. Before May 2022 only councils in London and Cardiff could enforce yellow box junctions, but freedom of information requests sent to councils which applied for these powers has revealed that 36 boxes outside London and Cardiff are now being enforced. These laws were still in effect in those authorities before the new rules, but only the police and not local authorities had powers to enforce them. According to the Highway Code, drivers must not enter a yellow box unless the exit from the box is clear or they are waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic so they can safely turn right. Guidance issued to councils says that during the first six months of a box being operational they should issue warning notices to drivers the first time they break the rules, instead of a fine. This allows drivers to familiarise themselves with the box rather than springing it on motorists, though if they do it again or after that six month period then they will receive a fine. A spokesperson for Manchester council said: "Following a consultation in 2022 the Council took on board powers to enforce against moving traffic contraventions (MTCs) in a select number of locations throughout the city. "Up until that point these were restrictions which could only be enforced by the police, which meant that a minority of motorists were able to break the rules of the road without any consequence. "Cameras were put in place to monitor specific junctions for manoeuvres such as illegal right or left turns, or blocking yellow hatched boxes. We know the vast majority of motorists find these incidents extremely frustrating as they can snarl up traffic, cause delays and inflame tensions on the road. "These measures were put in place to act as a deterrent for this sort of behaviour and we are pleased to see that the majority of motorists using these junctions obey the rules of the road and help prevent unnecessary gridlock. "Before these measures were put in place a campaign was launched to advise motorists, and the junctions where cameras are in place are clearly signposted warning that cameras are in operation. "A six-week period of grace was also implemented to allow the scheme to take root without penalising drivers getting used to the new layout, and any first offences within the first six months were only sent a warning letter." RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said that the enormous disparity should sound 'alarm bells'. "The enormously high number of penalty charge notices being raised in just a few council areas suggests things are awry," said Mr Dennis. "The large number of penalties being dished out over a small number of locations and in a short space of time should send alarm bells ringing in council offices." He added that the massive disparity could mean that the boxes are not working properly in the councils issuing the most fines, and criticised their potentially being seen as an automotive golden goose for cash-strapped local authorities. 'As the data shows, not every council now enforcing yellow boxes is generating a huge amount of money from fines," he said. "In fact, a small number of fines – and a small number of appeals – indicates a yellow box that's working as it should. "This should be the ambition behind any yellow box that a council is looking to start enforcing, rather than being seen as a revenue-raising opportunity."
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Landlords fined nearly £1.5m as more than 100 sign up for Andy Burnham's charter
Nearly £1.5m in fines have been issued to poor landlords over the last two years as part of a crackdown in Greater Manchester. Since March 2023, 113 civil penalties were handed out as part of a two-year trial. That has helped pay for extra enforcement officers at councils across the region. The number of fines issued against landlords has increased by 42.9 per cent in that period. It comes as more than half of all rented homes in Greater Manchester are now covered by Andy Burnham's Good Landlord Charter. The scheme, which recognises landlords who meet set standards, was been mooted by the Greater Manchester mayor for years. Since applications opened in April this year, more than 100 landlords have come forward to become Supporters of the Charter. These landlords, which include those with social housing as well as the private sector, account for more than 234,000 properties. Mr Burnham hopes that will drive up standards with a 'twin-track' approach that recognises good landlords and punishes bad ones. He said: "Today we are entering a new era for renting in Greater Manchester. We're making it clear that renting out sub-standard properties, which damage the health of our residents, will no longer be tolerated. "This city-region is getting serious about driving up housing standards and delivering on the promise of a good home for everyone. "We know there are many good landlords out there and the Charter will give them the recognition they deserve. It will also help isolate those who require further attention from our enforcement teams. "The £1.47m of civil penalties our local authorities have issued in the last two years show we're holding the most negligent landlords to account. "Together, we're leading the way in how to build a fairer, stronger housing system and blazing a trail for the rest of the country to follow." In 2023, Greater Manchester was selected by the government for a scheme which aimed to increase the use of civil penalties against landlords who have broken housing regulation which helped fund additional 26 housing enforcement officers across the region. The scheme was deemed a success, particularly in places which had previously used civil penalties which were introduced in 2016. For example, in Wigan, which previously had no policy on using these civil penalties, 20 have been issued in the last 12 months. The Pathfinder project contributed to a 42.9 per cent increase in the use of these penalties across Greater Manchester with fines totalling £1.47m over two years which will now be reinvested into local housing enforcement teams so they can continue this work. At the same time, the Good Landlord Charter sets out 21 criteria that landlords must meet to be recognised on a dedicated website. Mr Burnham will be setting out more details about the charter at the Housing 2025 conference in Manchester on Thursday (June 26).
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lapsed powers to tackle bad behaviour brought back
Powers for officers to tackle bad behaviour in Derby city centre have been reinstated after they lapsed for six months. A public spaces protection order (PSPO), which granted officers from the city council or police to issue fines or prosecute people for anti-social behaviour was put in place for three years from January 2022. But the order - which was targeted at tacking nuisance street drinking, loitering, going to the toilet on the street, begging or taking drugs - lapsed in January and was not brought back into force until June. Shoppers and businesses have told the BBC they feel more needs to be done to make people feel safe. The council said it had worked "within the constraints of our resources" to bring back the powers "at the first opportunity". A spokesperson said: "A thorough process of evidence gathering, data analysis, and a public consultation is required for renewal." The council said officers still had their "usual enforcement powers" despite their enhanced powers from the PSPO being lost between January and June. The PSPO returned from Friday 13 June. Vanessa Jean Anderson, who works at 1717 hair salon on Osmaston Road, said people congregating and drinking was "concerning". The 37-year-old from Darley Abbey said "I feel like the police do try but they could probably try a bit better - more patrols in the town centre, more of a presence, so people feel like they don't gather. "We do sometimes get people loitering outside the front of the shop and sometimes if you ask them to move on they can be a bit volatile. "I'd say it's mainly those people that you worry about as a business." Ami Patel, the manager of Cosmetize shop and salon on East Street, said issues like shoplifters, street drinking and drug taking meant people "don't feel safe" and combined with rising bus fares and parking charges people were avoiding the city centre. The 44-year-old said: "It's not good. Sometimes we are passing druggies and drunk people and feel scared and unsafe. "[Officers] need to get rid of those people from the streets." Support worker Claire Fisher, from California, said she had noticed people were not being moved on earlier this year. She said: "I work with vulnerable adults who are homeless, so I'm used to dealing with anti-social behaviour, but I feel that it's spilled out into the city centre. It doesn't create a nice ambience. "In town I do feel that there's a wider problem and it's definitely not 100% not safe for the elderly, not for the vulnerable, not for children. "I guess there's a lot of city centres that do face the same problems but for me it's a different Derby than the one I grew up in." But 56-year-old Londoner Nigel Payne, who has lived in Derby for the past 13 years, feels the city is "a nice place". He said: "Derby is a great place, a lot better than London - it's quiet for me, and the people are a lot more friendly. "I go out and enjoy myself but I respect other people and I expect the same back." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Funding announced for new police officers in county More than 100 e-scooters taken off county streets Derby City Council Derbyshire Police
