Romanian Pickpocket Can't Believe He Got Three Years

Blackfriars Crown Court

A professional Romanian pickpocket looked shocked today when he was rightly sent down for three years for preying on an OAP and a commuter.

Christian Roman, 46, jumped bail after his arrest for the first theft and was locked-up in Germany for similar offences.

The painter and decorator, who claims he is an alcoholic, returned to the UK to continue his heartless crime spree after his release.

He was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court for picking the pocket of an 80 year-old woman of £200 cash he saw her withdrawing from a Post Office in Brecknock Road, Holloway in 2013.

Roman had an accomplice and the pair approached their elderly victim and used a cynical distraction technique to steal her money.

He continued thieving in Germany, where he received sentences of three months and eighteen months imprisonment.

When he returned to the UK he was caught with his hand in a female commuter’s bag in August by officers staking-out a central London tube station for pickpockets.

His accomplice received fourteen days imprisonment.

Judge Guy Mathieson rejected defence claims, which sought to diminish Roman’s offending, announcing: “I don’t accept that. He is a career pickpocket.”

Roman asked the court to place him on an alcohol treatment programme rather than send him to prison, claiming he needs to get sober for the sake of his four children aged 5 to 14 years-old.

“I don’t know when you first came to this country, but from 2013 on you have demonstrated you are a career pickpocket, observing and targeting victims for what you can snatch.

“In 2013 you saw that 80 year-old woman in the Post Office and followed her and took that money in a selfish and cynical way, leaving her confused, distressed and no doubt somewhat ashamed she could fall victim to someone like you.

“To avoid justice you left the country and in 2017 you were in Germany committing identical offences.

“You returned to this country to commit crime and whether you have a drink problem or not is no excuse. You came to this country to commit crime.

“You were seen on the station platform watching commuters to identify your next victim and there were a couple of others you tried to steal from.

“You were stopped from ruining someone else’s day.

“This is a group activity in which you played a leading role.”