Latest news with #jewellerytheft
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- The Guardian
Paris court to reach verdict in Kim Kardashian jewellery theft trial
A Paris court will reach a verdict on Friday in the trial of 10 people alleged to have been involved in the theft of jewellery worth millions of euros from the American reality TV star Kim Kardashian when she attended Paris fashion week in 2016. Three pensioners and a man in his 30s are accused of breaking into a luxury residence in Paris, where they tied up Kardashian and held her hostage at gunpoint in her bedroom in the early hours of 3 October 2016. The armed, masked men, who were dressed in police jackets, escaped with jewellery worth up to an estimated €10m. The jewels, which were never found, included a 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring given to Kardashian by her then husband, the rapper Kanye West, estimated to be worth £3m. The leaders of the gang, aged in their 60s and 70s, were nicknamed the 'grandpa robbers' by French media. They arrived by bike or on foot at the smart residence in central Paris and held a receptionist at gunpoint before going up to Kardashian's room, where she had been sleeping. They tied her up and taped her mouth, and left her on the bathroom floor before escaping. The state prosecutor, Anne-Dominique Merville, told jurors this week not to be fooled by the men's age. She said they were seasoned criminals with previous records and prison sentences. Merville said: 'They were masked, wearing gloves, they were going to hold her and tie her up. They have no empathy for Kim Kardashian, for the receptionist.' Merville said jurors, who are sitting with a panel of judges, should not to be taken in by 'the reassuring wrinkles' of the accused and should remember they were charged with involvement in a violent crime. She called it a 'meticulously prepared' robbery, where 'thieves' were recruited. She said: 'They came for the ring, they got it, they knew exactly what they were doing.' The state prosecutor suggested that the judge and jury should return a guilty verdict and 10-year prison sentence for Aomar Aït Khedache, 68, a retired restaurant owner, who she said was the mastermind of the robbery. She said he ''gave orders', recruited others and travelled to Belgium to sell the jewellery. He admitted involvement but denied being the mastermind. She suggested 10-year prison sentences should be given to Didier Dubreucq, 69, who is also alleged to have gone to Kardashian's bedroom but denies the charges, as well as Yunice Abbas, 71, who wrote a book about the robbery and admitted to arriving at the scene with two accomplices on bicycles to 'keep watch'. The state prosecutor also recommended a 10-year-sentence for Marc-Alexandre Boyer, the youngest member of the group, now in his thirties, who she said posed 'a risk of reoffending'. Five other men and one woman are accused of taking part in planning or aiding the plot. The state prosecutor earlier this week recommended seven-year sentences for Gary Madar – the brother of Kardashian's chauffeur – and his friend Florus Heroui, who it was alleged in court obtained and shared information about Kardashian's schedule in Paris. They denied the charges. She recommended eight years for Khedache's son, Harminy, accused of being the driver on the evening of the robbery. He denied the charges. The only woman on trial was Cathy Glotin, described in court as a 'respectable grandmother involved in charity work' but who also 'knew delinquency and had no qualms about taking part in criminal acts'. She was accused by the prosecution of arranging the meetings between her partner Khedache and the accomplices. She denied the charges. The state prosecutor recommended a six-year sentence. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion The heist was thought to be the biggest robbery of an individual in France in 20 years. Kardashian, a billionaire celebrity influencer and business owner who is now a criminal justice advocate in the US, attended the trial in Paris, telling the court she had feared she would be raped and murdered by the masked gunmen who entered her rented suite in the city centre. At the time of the robbery, Kardashian was without security protection and was alone in her bedroom in an exclusive building, known as a 'no address' site, where celebrities often rent sumptuous suites. Her bodyguard had instead accompanied her sister, the reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian, to a Paris nightclub after the sisters had spent the day at fashion shows being photographed. At that time, Kardashian routinely posted most of her daily movements and whereabouts on social media, where she also displayed her jewellery, including a large diamond engagement ring. Those details on social media may have facilitated the thieves' targeting of her. She told the court her life had changed. 'It changed the way that I felt safe at home,' she said, adding that she now had up to six security guards there. 'We never felt that we were unsafe before this. This experience changed everything.' In court, some of the men apologised to Kardashian. Kardashian said to Khedache in court: 'I forgive you for what has taken place but it does not change the emotion, the feelings, the trauma and the way my life is forever changed.' The verdict is expected on Friday night.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- The Sun
Moment glam shoplifter steals £1,000 of jewellery by ‘distracting' shopkeeper with her VERY short skirt
THIS is the moment a glamorous shoplifter stole £1,000 worth of jewellery by "distracting" the shopkeeper with her incredibly short skirt. Ian Lambert, 62, was left reeling after the "devastating" theft from his independent store Artisan Island in Weymouth, Dorset. 6 6 6 Footage shows the moment the brazen thief entered the store, donning a very short green dress, with her eyes set on the valuable jewellery. As she begins to seemingly browse the store's items, the thief appears to deliberately bend down to the lower shelves, flashing her bottom to staff. After moving to a more central part of the store, the sick thief appears to adjust her skirt, making it even shorter in an attempt to try and distract the shopworkers. Armed with a tote bag across her left shoulder, the thief can then be seen sneaking products into her carrier as she makes her way around the sweet independent shop. On a number of occasions, the brazen shoplifter can be seen squatting down to reach the lower shelves, exposing the lower half of her body to workers in the store. Bizarrely, she can also be seen rubbing her hand across her body and adjusting her skirt once more as she makes her way towards the front of the shop, where workers appeared confused by her behaviour. Ian said he initially felt like he needed to look away from the woman for fear of being branded a pervert, as she exposed her body seemingly deliberately. But when he later checked CCTV footage, he discovered the thief had used the unusual technique in order to fill her bag with £1,000 worth of jewellery - including rings, necklaces and commemorative coins. Ian explained: "This woman came in the store with a very short green mini dress. "Every time she bent over to look at something on the bottom shelves her dress would ride up. Thief banned from every Greggs store in Britain after targeting one shop SEVEN times as cops launch crackdown "I didn't want to be seen looking at her as I would be the one who would be called a pervert." He added: "We now know that every time she bent over she was filling her bag with some of the items off the shelves. "On her way out she even had the cheek to thank staff and apologise for not buying something on this occasion." Ian said his small business was still in the process of figuring out how much money it had lost from the theft, as each of the stolen items belonged to individual independent sellers. Describing the devastation caused by the theft, Ian added: "It's not us she stole from - it's normal people trying to make an honest living. "You could say that it was a fantastic idea by her to distract staff in that way but you just have to have the nerve to do it." 6 6 6 The very next day after the thefts, Ian put up dozens of flyers to try and widen the appeal to find the shoplifter, and to warn other businesses. However, he said many of these appear to have been taken down. Ian added: "We really have a shoplifting epidemic in this country and there are no consequences for the people that do it. "If shop owners try and stop it then they are the ones who get in trouble. "I plastered flyers all over the town but many of them seem to have been taken down. I guess people want to protect her identity." Ian explained he had not reported the incident to police because, he claimed, they had not helped previously, reports the Daily Mail. 'DEVASTATING EFFECT ON OUR SELLERS' Just yesterday, Artisan Island posted an emotional update on social media, sharing the "distress" that the recent shoplifting had caused for crafters who sell their goods at the store. The post read: "The recent shoplifting did cause a lot of distress to the Artisan Island crafters. "Many have low income and there are those living with chronic health conditions, as well as being carers - some work in public services in highly stressful jobs. "Selling through the shop is a window of sunshine, where people can express their creativity and share something they are passionate about with others. "It costs money and time to make the items and crafters pour love and care into every one. "This isn't a big multinational company, it's a local shop stocked by ordinary people who pay the cost themselves for any losses and begin to wonder if it's all worthwhile. "Ian is doing his best to try and stop theft at Artisan Island, he can see the devastating effect it has on our sellers. "It's not easy and it can feel that there is no support from outside the shop in actually ending the shoplifting. "Please don't steal from us." Just last year, a woman was jailed after admitting to nine "distraction thefts" of mobile phones from across the Home Counties. Nirix Stanescu, 24, could be seen swiping one device from a McDonald's customer, after distracting them with a piece of paper. How a 'distraction' wallet can protect you from being pickpocketed on holiday – with some for just £4 TOURISTS are often targeted by thieves but a £4 distraction wallet could prevent your holiday from being ruined. While you may not want to have to think about the dangers associated with exploring unknown areas, there are some simple tricks that can put your mind at ease. Travel + Leisure writer Annita Katee went to South America and while in Lima, Peru, a member of her tour group had her phone snatched from her. The situation gave Katee a "wake-up call" to how you will never eliminate all risks but that "being prepared and proactive can make a world of difference." One of her top safety hacks is to carry a distraction wallet or a decoy. While you may initially believe that this is an extra expense and more to carry, it could prove vital in the event of being pickpocketed or even having a confrontation with a thief. For example, if you find yourself confronted in a mugging situation and you are asked to hand over your wallet, pass over the decoy rather than your real one. To make it believable, the fake wallet should have expired credit cards, a small amount of cash that you can sacrifice and some non-essential items. You could even put a copy of a photograph in there and some old receipts to make it more realistic. "The decoy can be enough to satisfy the thief and buy you precious time to retreat to safety," Katee explained.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
The bare-cheek bandit: Moment short-skirted shoplifter bends over to force owner to look away so she could steal £1,000 of jewellery
A brazen female shoplifter has been captured on CCTV using her extremely short skirt as a unique distraction tactic to steal up to £1,000 worth of jewellery. Video footage taken at an independent shop in Weymouth, Dorset showed the moment the thief, dressed in a short green dress, appeared to deliberately bend down to the lower shelves and flash her bottom, leaving staff members shocked. Shopkeeper Ian Lambert, 62, said he had initially felt like he needed to look away from the woman for fear of being branded a pervert. When he checked CCTV footage later he discovered she used the unusual technique to fill her bag with items including rings, necklaces and commemorative coins. He said: 'This woman came in the store with a very short green mini dress. 'Every time she bent over to look at something on the bottom shelves her dress would ride up. I didn't want to be seen looking at her as I would be the one who would be called a pervert. 'We now know that every time she bent over she was filling her bag with some of the items off the shelves. When the shopkeeper later checked CCTV footage he discovered that she had used the unusual technique in order to fill her bag with items including rings, necklaces and commemorative coins. 'On her way out she even had the cheek to thank staff and apologise for not buying something on this occasion.' Mr Lambert said the small business is still in the process of calculating how much money they lost as a result of the scam, with the stolen items all belonging to individual sellers. Describing the extent of devastation caused by the theft, he added: It's not us she stole from. It's normal people trying to make an honest living. 'You could say that it was a fantastic idea by her to distract staff in that way but you just have to have the nerve to do it.' The following day, Mr Lambert put up dozens of flyers in a bid to identity the shoplifter and to warn other businesses, but many of them were taken down. He added: 'We really have a shoplifting epidemic in this country and there are no consequences for the people that do it. If shop owners try and stop it then they are the ones who get in trouble. Describing the extent of devastation caused by the theft, he added: It's not us she stole from. It's normal people trying to make an honest living. 'You could say that it was a fantastic idea by her to distract staff in that way but you just have to have the nerve to do it' 'I plastered flyers all over the town but many of them seem to have been taken down. I guess people want to protect her identity.' Mr Lambert said he did not report the incident to the police as he claimed they had not helped previously. It comes as the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has passed half a million for the first time, figures released in April showed. An astonishing 516,971 offences were logged by forces last year, up 20 per cent from 429,873 in 2023. The figure is the highest since current police records began 22 year ago in 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS said that shoplifting offences had witnessed a 'sharp rise' since the Covid-19 pandemic, with it estimated that the real figures of theft unknown as a result of many shopkeepers fearing it is 'pointless' to report offences to police. Meanwhile, four fifths of retailers have reported being robbed in the past year, a survey from the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) found. Bira's chief executive, Andrew Goodacre, said the ONS figures represented a 'deeply troubling milestone' that confirmed what the organisation's members had been saying for months. 'The impact on independent retailers is awful,' he added. 'The stock they are losing represents a loss of their savings, as well as a loss of profits. As one retailer said to us recently: 'It is like being burgled every week, and nobody should have to put up with that'.' MPs have also warned that Britain could be set to witness a shoplifting and burglar 'crime wave' amid plans to scrap short prison sentences. Major reforms set to be published this week as part of the government-commissioned Sentencing Review by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke are expected to recommend scrapping most sentences of up to a year. It would mean burglars, shoplifters and those convicted of low-level assault would not face jail time – with the reforms aimed at tackling prison overcrowding. The report is expected to provide a blueprint for the Sentencing Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament this summer. The recommendations are set to include replacing the majority of year-long sentences with community work or suspended sentences.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Heavily pregnant burglar posing as cleaner stole jewels worth £500k from £105 million mansion that's London's second largest home after Buckingham Palace
London 's second-largest home after Buckingham Palace was struck by a heavily pregnant burglar who stole more than half a million pounds' worth of jewellery by posing as a cleaner. Prolific thief Luminita Zamfir, 24, told staff she had been sent by an agency for a trial shift and was escorted into a £105million mansion in central London. Despite the home being under the protection of former elite Royal protection officers, Zamfir snatched £548,565 worth of rings, necklaces and earrings belonging to a wealthy international business family on February 5. Zamfir also carried out two further heists, stealing more than £50,000 in watches, cufflinks and cash from the London homes of a property mogul and a property management boss. She was snared through DNA evidence left on a tissue at one of the homes, and CCTV footage that caught her in the act. None of the loot has been recovered, however. Zamfir gave birth on April 18 while she was on remand and now faces a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty to three counts of burglary on Tuesday (May 13). She appeared at Wood Green Crown Court via video-link from HMP Bronzefield while cradling the newborn child. Zamfir's spree began on November 28 last year when she raided the £11million home of Sean Gorvy, making off with £50,000 worth of watches and cufflinks. She then went onto target the mansion which London's second largest private residence. Security guards at the mansion provided police officers with CCTV from inside the property. Tim Sleigh-Johnson, prosecuting, said Zamfir began her heist at the luxury residence by knocking at the home next door – which was used to house staff for the family. 'This defendant was not known to the staff, and she said she was a trial cleaner. She was therefore allowed into the property (next door) and left later that day,' he said. She was escorted to the main property to 'complete her shift' when she was then able to steal the items. The prosecutor added: 'When the occupants returned valuable property - jewellery and other items - were found to be stolen which has been valued at £548,565 - or half a million of jewellery. 'CCTV footage from inside the address was provided to the police and Zamfir was identified by the police.' Then five days after the mansion raid she looted a valuable ring, a Gucci watch and £200 in cash from the £1.6 million home of a property management couple. The wife Pippa, 61, told the Daily Mail the antique gold Intaglio ring depicting the Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva was her father's engagement ring and held a deeply sentimental value as he died aged 96 in September last year. On 10 February her husband Christopher, 62, was at home expecting a delivery when Zamfir knocked at the door saying she was a cleaner. Pippa said: 'She said she was a cleaner and came right in. She flicked her shoes off and began to pet the dogs. 'Then she went upstairs and into one of the bedrooms, which is when we think she must have taken the ring, watch and cash. 'Christopher was upstairs in his study and began to think something did not seem right and came downstairs and saw her plumping the cushions.' Pippa suspects Zamfir panicked when she saw Christopher looking at her and fled. 'She quickly said she needed to go out and buy some cleaning products and would be back in ten minutes,' Pippa added. But she never returned. The couple provided footage from their Ring doorbell to their usual cleaning agency and when they confirmed Zamfir was unknown to them, the film was passed to the police. Officers had previously collected a DNA sample from a tissue left at the home of Mr Gorvy, and found it matched Zamfir, who has multiple burglary convictions dating back to 2016. Zamfir, originally from Romania, was advised by Judge John Dodd KC she should indicate where the stolen items had been hidden. He said: 'These are clearly extremely serious offences, and you must expect to receive a term of imprisonment. 'I will just add one other thing, one you might want to speak to your counsel about, because not only will it help you, it will help the victims of these various crimes. 'If you were prepared to tell the police where it has all gone that would be extremely powerful mitigation.' Dhaneshwar Sharma, defending, had to translate the hearing for his client due to a lack of interpreter and said: 'I shall only say this today: it is very telling her husband is not here.' Zamfir has four previous convictions for burglary and shoplifting offences. She will be sentenced on 11 June.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- BBC News
Widow who had all cherished jewellery stolen gets some rings back
A widow who had her jewellery stolen has had some of the missing rings month, Susan Shepherd, 75, described her devastation at losing her life's collection, including her late husband Stan's wedding spoke out after the thief who had broken into her Aberdeen home was jailed for three years. It is understood information about the location of some of the items was passed to police after Susan spoke to BBC Scotland News. Officers have now been able to reunite her with eight most cherished items were not among those returned but Susan said she was "grateful" to get some belongings thefts happened in the Bucksburn area of Aberdeen in August last year while she away from Martin, 56, was jailed for three years at Peterhead Sheriff Court on 16 April after he admitted the theft of jewellery and a jewellery box as well as other personal belongings. The total estimated value was several thousand described her experience in a victim impact statement read to the Annella Cowan said the crime victim had taken the opportunity to describe how it had harmed her mental health."I cannot explain how disturbed I am by this despicable crime," her statement said. "I will never recover from this."The sheriff described her words as "elegant and eloquent". Stan Shepherd took early retirement after heart surgery and devoted his days to his wife, who had gone back to work Stan's death in 2010, Susan carefully stored away precious mementos from their 40 years of marriage - Stan's wedding band, her own wedding and engagement rings, even a pair of his were among the items Susan found missing after the robbery. Susan found out about the break-in when a neighbour contacted her about a smashed door. Relatives then discovered the house had been ransacked."It was unbelievable, it just devastated me," she told BBC Scotland News."My late husband's ashes were disturbed, that just broke my heart." Susan said she was shocked when police told her they had recovered some of the rings. "I am saddened that my more sentimental ones were not among them," she said."I am so grateful to everyone who was involved in the recovery of some of my possessions."She added: "If anyone out there is wearing rings with inscriptions that don't belong to them, please hand them in."I live in hope they turn up someday."Sgt Donald Lyon, of Police Scotland, said: "We understand how devastating if can be to have your home broken into."We are pleased the jewellery has been returned to its rightful owner."In 2023-24, housebreakings accounted for 8% of crimes of dishonesty in Scotland, with 9,033 recorded.
